,0 o 



^0 o 



*0 a. 



■7^ 



?5 *n* lllSb*: \ 0o x 



PICTURES FROM SICILY. 




a (EUttton, 

REVISED AND BROUGHT DOWN TO THE PRESENT TIME. 



LONDON: 
T. NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW; 

EDINBUHGH ; AND NEW YOHK 



MDCCCLXIX. 



ThaNSFHR 
D, 0. PUBLIC LIBRAS* 
SEPT. lO. 1940 



Introduction 



HISTORICAL SUMMARY. 

ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OP SICILY — THE GRECIAN COLONIES — " TYRANTS " OP 
SYRACUSE AND AGRIGENTUM — INTESTINE STRUGGLES — DEFEAT OP THE 
ATHENIANS— CARTHAGINIAN INVASION — HIERON OP SYRACUSE — ROMAN IN- 
VASION — CAPTURE OF SYRACUSE — VICISSITUDES OP THE ISLAND — THE 
SARACENIC CONQUEST — THE NORMAN KINGDOM OP SICILY— AN EPISODE OP 
THE CRUSADES — THE LAST OP THE NORMANS — STORY OP CONRADINE — 
JOHN DI PROCIDA — THE SICILIAN VESPERS — INVASION OP THE FRENCH — 
THEIR REPULSE — LATER HISTORY — LORD NELSON — OPPRESSION OP THE 
NEAPOLITAN GOVERNMENT — LORD WILLIAM BENTINCK — FORMATION OF THE 
KINGDOM OF THE TWO SICILIES DISCONTENT OP THE SICILIANS — REVOLU- 
TION OP 1848 — THE "ACT OP GAETA" — REVOLUTION OF 1860-61 — EXPLOITS 
OF GARIBALDI — SICILY ANNEXED BY AN ALMOST UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THE 
PEOPLE TO THE ITALIAN KINGDOM — CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OP SICILIAN 
RULERS 



CHAPTER I 

DEPARTURE FROM LONDON — FROM PARIS TO LYONS — DOWN THE RHONE — THE 
SCENERY AND CLIMATE OP PROVENCE — MARSEILLES — VOYAGE TO CORSICA — 
A.IACCIO AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS — LEGHORN — A PEEP AT PISA — THE CAMPO 
SANTO — TERRIBLE HAILSTORM — CATHEDRAL OP PISA — FLORENCE — ITS 



viii 



CONTENTS. 



CATHEDRAL, CAMPANILE, AND BAPTISTERY — THE DUCAL PALACE — THE 

STREETS AND GALLERIES OF FLORENCE — THE MEDICEAN VENUS ENVIRONS 

OF FLORENCE VIEW FROM FIESOLE ITALIAN LANDSCAPES 



CHAPTER II. 

A COASTING VOYAGE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN — COAST OF THE MAREMMA — CIVITA 
VECCHIA — THE BAT OF NAPLES — CITY OF NAPLES— ITS POPULACE — A VISIT TO 
VESUVIUS — ASCENT OF THE MOUNTAIN — THE CRATER — PROSPECT FROM THE 
SUMMIT — JOURNEY TO POMPEII — CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CITY OF THE 

DEAD THE FORUM THE AMPHITHEATRE — HERCULANEUM EVENING AT 

NAPLES 



CHAPTER III. 

VOYAGE TO SICILY — THE VOLCANIC ISLAND OF STROMBOLI — PERILS OF THE FARO 

— WHIRLPOOL OF CHARYBDIS — HARBOUR OF MESSINA POSITION AND 

CLIMATE OF THE CITY EARTHQUAKE OF 1783 — BOMBARDMENT OF 1848 — 

QUAY OF MESSINA — ITS ENVIRONS — THEIR ROMANTIC CHARACTER— ITS 
MONUMENTS — THE CATHEDRAL — STATUE OF DON JOHN OF AUSTRIA — 
GIARDINI— A FESTA — THE THEATRE OF TAORMINA — A MAGNIFICENT PANO- 
RAMA — -HISTORICAL REMINISCENCES — NAXOS — THE SCALA DE ACI — THE 
SCOPULI CYCLOPUM— COAST SCENERY 



CHAPTER IV. 

CATANIA, ITS HOTELS AND STREETS — A VOLCANIC REGION — MOUNT ETNA — ITS 
ZONES — THE CASTAGNO DI CENTO CAVALLI ERUPTION OF 1669 — BENEDIC- 
TINE MONASTERY — ASCENT OF MOUNT ETNA — NICOLOSI — THE WEATHER 
AND THE GUIDES — THE JESUITS — A MOONLIGHT RIDE — THE BOSCO, OR 
WOODED REGION — A BIVOUAC — THE CASA DEGLI INGLESI — ON THE MOUN- 
TAIN SUMMIT A SCENE OF DESOLATION — ERUPTIONS OF ETNA — DESCENT 

OF THE MOUNTAIN — THE INDIAN FIG GIRO, OR CIRCUIT OF THE MOUNTAIN 

- — CASTLE OF PATERNO — ADERNO AND ITS NUNNERY — BRONTE — CURIOUS 
VOLCANTC PHENOMENA — NELSON AND BRONTE — RANDAZZO 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER V. 

LEONTINI — MAGNISI, THE ANCIENT THAPSUS — SYRACUSE — ITS HISTORY — GELON, 
ITS RULER — SIEGE OF SYRACUSE — DEFEAT OF THE ATHENIANS — CARTHA- 
GINIAN INVASION — 'DIONYSIUS THE ELDER — STORY OF PLATO — DIONYSIUS 

THE SECOND TIMOLEON OF CORINTH SIEGE OF SYRACUSE BY THE ROMANS 

UNDER MARCELLUS — ITS HEROES — ST. PAUL — CATHEDRAL AND CASTLE OF 

SYRACUSE THE GREEK THEATRE THE LATOMIA, OR QUARRIES THE " EAR 

OF DIONYSIUS " — TOMB OF ARCHIMEDES EXTENT OF THE ANCIENT CITY 

VIEW FROM FORT LABDALUS- — SOME POINTS OF INTEREST — JOURNEY TO 

GIRGENTI INCONVENIENCES OF SICILIAN TRAVEL THE FIUMARA TER- 

RANOVA 



CHAPTER VI. 

GIRGENTI, THE ANCIENT AGRIGENTUM — ITS SITUATION — ITS RUINS — HISTORY OF 
A GRI GENTUM — ITS SYBARITE CITIZENS — THE WEALTHY GELLIAS — CAPTURE 
BY THE CARTHAGINIANS, AND DESTRUCTION OF THE CITY — SEVEN MONTHS* 
SIEGE BY THE ROMANS — THE RUPE ATENEA — -TEMPLE OF JUNO LUCINA — 
ANECDOTE OF ZEUXIS TEMPLE OF CONCORD TEMPLES OF JUPITER, HER- 
CULES, AND jESCULAPIUS — THE SO-CALLED TOMB OF THERON ANCIENT ME- 
MORIALS JOURNEY TO PALERMO SCIACCA — ' ' VINTI-QUATTRO" THE 

THERMAE SELINUNTLE A VOLCANIC ISLAND RUINS OF SELINUNTE "i 

PILIERI DE' GIGANTl" CASTELVETBANO — CALATAFIMI TEMPLE OF SEGESTE 

HISTORY OF SEGESTE ITS RISE AND FALL THE THEATRE MOUNT ERYX, 

AND VENUS ERYCINA — ALCAMO 



CHAPTER VII. 

PALERMO — ITS STREETS — THE CORSO VITTORIO EMANUELE — INNER LIFE OF THE 

CITY — A PICTURE IN WORDS THE MENDICANTS— THE PROMENADE OF THE 

MARINA AN EVENING SCENE — CONVENT OF SANTA MARIA DI GESU VIEW 

OF PALERMO — MONTE PELLEGRINO STORY OF SANTA ROSALIA HER STATUES 

— CHURCH OF SANTO SPIRITO SCENE OF THE SICILIAN VESPERS — THE CAMPO 

SANTO — HISTORICAL NOTICES OF PALERMO— THE PALACES OF LA CUBA AND 
LA ZISA — THE NORMAN KING, ROGER — CHURCH OF SAN GIOVANNI DEGLI 

EREMITI THE CAPPELLA REALE A GORGEOUS EDIFICE — SOME CURIOUS 

MOSAICS LA MARTORANA — CATHEDRAL OF PALERMO — ITS REMARKABLE 

MONUMENTS — MONASTERIO DELL A PIETA— MONKS AND NUNS 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTEE VIII. 

ENVIRONS OF PALERMO — CONVENT OF SAN MARTINO — ITS CORRIDOR AND GARDENS 

— THE LIBRARY — A LITERARY IMPOSTURE — CASTLE OF SAN BENEDETTO — 
PLAIN OF PALERMO — ORIGIN OF MONREALE — THE TOWN — THE CATHEDRAL 

ITS GORGEOUS INTERIOR — ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTERISTICS — PICTURE 

OF ST. BENEDICT, BY IL MONREALESE — THE CLOISTER — A LUXURIANT LAND- 
SCAPE PRINCIPAL BUILDINGS OF PALERMO — FURTHER VISITS TO THE EN- 
VIRONS — THE VILLAS OF BAGARIA — PB.INCE PALAGONIA — A COLLECTION OF 
ODDITIES — FISHERIES OF PALERMO — TUNNY-FISHING — INTERIOR OF SICILY 

— CHARACTER OF ITS INHABITANTS —ROBBERS, AND THE " COMPAGNI D' 

ARMl" AN ADVENTURE WITH BANDITTI — A VISIT INTO THE INTERIOR — 

VILLAROSA MISERICORDIA — THE ANCIENT ENNA — ERUPTION OF MOUNT 

ETNA TERMINI — CATHEDRAL OF CEFALU — TRAPANI — MARSALA, THE AN- 
CIENT LILYB^EUM ITS WHITE WINE — A PICTURESQUE GROUP OF ISLANDS 

MARSALA — THE END 



PICTURES FROM SICILY. 




[HAT Sicily, the largest and most beautiful island 
in the Mediterranean, should in an age of travel 
attract, comparatively speaking, so little notice, 
cannot at first sight but appear remarkable. 
Yet for thousands who pour down upon Rome and 
Naples, there are not perhaps as many dozens who cross 
the Faro of Messina. Its insular position, the want of 
good inns and roads, and, until recently, political dis- 
turbances and passport troubles, have all contributed to 
drive the mass of travellers from its shores. Yet there 
are certain charms peculiar to this island, of which even 
Italy herself cannot boast. One of these is to be found 
in the exquisite blending of Grecian ruins with beautiful 
scenery ; another in the peculiar architecture of the 
Normans, unlike anything elsewhere existing, in which 
the Byzantine and Saracenic styles are so curiously 



12 



INTRODUCTION. 



intermingled ; and, to those who care but little about 
temples or cathedrals, the phenomena of Mount Etna — 
the most famous volcano in Europe — cannot but prove 
an attractive subject of contemplation. 

Nor is the interest of Sicily wholly confined to its 
ancient architecture or natural beauties. The commer- 
cial and political state of this island are alike interesting 
to the English. Of the trade of Sicily we already enjoy 
the largest share ; and now that it has been freed from 
many restrictions, and the resources of the island are in 
course of development under a liberal government, it 
will continue to increase. 

It is the object of this volume not to descend 
to minute details, but to dwell upon the more promi- 
nent objects, so as to convey a general idea of the 
Grecian, Norman, and Saracenic buildings, and of the 
picturesque scenery of the island. An Appendix, how- 
ever, conveys all the most necessary information for 
travellers. 

It has been thought advisable to prefix to these 
sketches a short historical Introduction, recalling only 
the most remarkable events of ancient times, and by 
showing under what a variety of masters the island 
has passed, to give interest to the delineations of their 
successive monuments. These notices are taken princi- 
pally from the Sicilian historians Palmeri and Amari, 
and the " Normans in Sicily " of Gaily Knight. Con- 



INTRODUCTION. 



13 



siderable reference has also been made to the valuable 
work of Admiral Smyth, and to other contemporary 
sources. 

[Note. — The present edition has been carefully revised, the information brought 
down to the latest date, and many improvements introduced, which, it is hoped, will 
be equally appreciated by the traveller and the general reader. — January 1869.] 




ANCIENT COIN OF SYRACUSE. 



isforieal Summary 



ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF SICILY THE GRECIAN COLONIES " TYRANTS " OF SYRA- 
CUSE AND AGRIGENTUM INTESTINE STRUGGLES DEFEAT OF THE ATHENIANS 

CARTHAGINIAN INVASION HIERON OF SYRACUSE ROMAN INVASION CAPTURE 

OF SYRACUSE — VICISSITUDES OF THE ISLAND — THE SARACENIC CONQUEST — THE 

NORMAN KINGDOM OF SICILY AN EPISODE OF THE CRUSADES— THE LAST OF 

THE NORMANS STORY OF CONRADINE — JOHN DI PROCIDA — THE SICILIAN 

VESPERS — INVASION OF THE FRENCH — THEIR REPULSE — LATER HISTORY — LORD 

NELSON OPPRESSION OF THE NEAPOLITAN GOVERNMENT LORD WILLIAM BEN- 

TINCK FORMATION OF THE KINGDOM OF THE TWO SICILIES — DISCONTENT OF 

THE SICILIANS — REVOLUTION OF 1848— THE " ACT OF GAETA " REVOLUTION OF 

1860-61 — EXPLOITS OF GARIBALDI — SICILY ANNEXED BY AN ALMOST UNANIMOUS 

VOTE OF THE PEOPLE TO THE ITALIAN KINGDOM CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF 

SICILIAN RULERS. 

YfjfelCILY, like the neighbouring peninsula of Italy, 
|P Sa has its fabulous and heroic age, in which fact 
i^SB^ and fiction are intimately blended. When, says 
Palmeri, we speak of Giants and Cyclops, Les- 
trygons or Lotophagi, the earliest inhabitants of the 
island, it is doubtful whether these names designated 
people of various nations, or merely different conditions 
of the same people. It is equally uncertain whether the 
island, first called, from its triangular shape, Trinacria, 
was afterwards called Sicania by the Sicani, and finally 
Sicilia by the Siculi ; since it is a question whether 



these are any but different appeUatioi^f^[1|to^|[S§r4§75 l 
people. Some basis of truth there may have been for 
the story that the oxen of the Su^ga^rared in the rich - < 
fields of Milazzo ; that Dafni invented pastoral poetry ; 
Polyphemus and Aristasus taught the cultivation of the 
olive ; that Daedalus was a great architect and sculptor, 
and that Hercules landed on the .island and erected 
temples. Among so many mythical stories, some idea 
may be formed of the early state of Sicily. The Sicani, 
at first shepherds, gradually acquired some of the arts of 
civilization, and erected numerous cities. Other nations, 
attracted by the soil and climate, gradually visited the 
island. Such were the Cretans, under their king Minos, 
who came over in pursuit of Daedalus, and being at first 
received with hospitality by Cocalus, was treacherously 
stifled in the sulphur-baths of Sciacca, while his fol- 
lowers — their ships being burned — were obliged to 
remain in the island. The wandering Trojans are also 
said to have founded a city upon Mount Eryx, visited 
by iEneas after the fall of Troy, and whence, after the 
death of his father Anchises, he repaired to Italy. The 
Phoenicians also established several maritime colonies, as 
at Palermo, Trapani, and other spots on the coast. The 
Siculi, as many believe, of Pelasgian origin, also crossed 
the Straits of Messina in great numbers, and obtained a 
permanent footing in the island. Respecting all these 
migrations tradition is vague and contradictory. 



16 



SOME HISTOKICAL NOTES. 



The Grecian period is the most glorious in the Sicilian 
annals. Issuing from the narrow confines of the parent 
state in quest of a wider theatre of action, the Greeks 
landed at different parts of the island, as well as on the 
neighbouring peninsula, and founded so many separate 
states. Some Athenians cast on shore just below Taor- 
mina, built Naxos, the earliest of the Grecian colonies 
(b.c. 735). The Corinthians and Dorians, landing on 
the island of Ortygia, expelled the Siculi, and laid the 
foundations of Syracuse (b.c. 734). Gela (b.c. 690), 
Selinus (b.c. 628), Camerina (b.c. 599), Leontium, and 
Agrigentum (b.c. 582), speedily followed. The rude 
inhabitants were driven into the fastnesses of the in- 
terior. Art, science, poetry, all that constituted the 
intellectual culture of the Greeks, became naturalized in 
this beautiful island. Then arose those noble temples, 
the ruins of which still adorn its shores. Emulation 
was kindled between the different states, and Syracuse 
and Agrigentum disputed the palm of excellence. Hiero, 
king of Syracuse (B.C. 478—467), and Theron, tyrant of 
Agrigentum (b.c. 488—472), are both celebrated in the 
immortal poems of Pindar for their victories at the Greek 
games — the former at the Pythian and Olympic, the 
latter at the Olympic. These victories are also per- 
petuated on their coins. 

Unfortunately the same jealous struggles for political 
power that divided Greece itself broke out in Sicily, 

(212) m 



A PERIOD OF CHANGE. 



17 



and exposed the island to the machinations of foreign 
enemies. 




MEDAL COMMEMORATING HIERO'S VICTORY. 



The Sicilian colonies, owning no allegiance to the 
parent state, became so many independent cities, each 
under its own domestic institutions, and with its own 
foreign alliances. The government, at first popular, 
speedily degenerated into despotism. The supreme 
power was artfully obtained or violently seized by the 
tyrants, who made it their policy " to sow dissension 
among the people, to engage them in foreign wars, and 
by glorious actions and splendid public works distract 
them from the sense of domestic slavery." Such men 
were Dionysius the Elder of Syracuse (B.C. 406-367), 
and Phalaris at Agrigentum (about B.C. 570). Sometimes 
the democracy would regain the ascendant, but only by 
introducing the spirit of faction to distract the counsels 
and weaken the resources of the state, and induce the 
reaction of absolute despotism. 

(212) 2 



18 



THE CARTHAGINIAN INVASION. 



These colonies had reached their full splendour when 
the Persians, about to invade Greece, and fearing that 
the Sicilian Greeks would succour their parent states, 
instigated the Carthaginians to attack them. Carthage, 
which had long desired a pretext for invading Sicily, 
now found one in the invitation of the tyrant of Messina, 
who was driven to take refuge in Africa. Hamilcar the 
Carthaginian general landed at Panormus with a power- 
ful army (B.C. 480), but, defeated in the memorable 
battle of Himera by Gelon of Syracuse and Theron of 
Agrigentum, was compelled to return home and accept 
of a humiliating peace. 

After repelling the Carthaginian invasion, says Pal- 
meri, the Greeks reposed upon their laurels. Carthage 
and Persia prepared for vengeance, but were still suffering 
from the blows received at Himera and Salamis. As 
yet Rome had not carried her ambitious designs beyond 
the confines of Italy. Freed from foreign enemies, the 
Sicilians had now to turn their arms against a domestic 
foe. The Siculi, cooped up in the interior, and pressed 
upon by the advancing Greeks, flew to arms, but were 
entirely defeated by the Syracusans, who destroyed their 
chief city Trinacria. To such a pitch of arrogance had 
Syracuse attained, that she began to overrun the weaker 
cities and impose heavy burdens upon them. The 
citizens of Leontini,. thus oppressed, appealed to Athens, 
who, inflamed by the ambition of conquering Sicily, sent 



CAPTURE OF AGKIGENTUM. 



19 



a powerful armament under Nicias, and a general of the 
name of Demosthenes, to besiege Syracuse ; but the in- 
habitants, being assisted by the Corinthians and Spartans 
under the command of Gylippus, obtained a memorable 
victory over their invaders (b.c. 415). 

Scarcely had the Syracusans recovered from their 
intoxication of triumph when a fresh tempest burst over 
Sicily. The Carthaginians longed to wash out the dis- 
grace of Him era, and under the pretext of assisting 
the Segestans against their more powerful neighbours 
the Selinuntines, again invaded the island. Selinunte 
was destroyed, Agrigentum besieged and taken, and the 
whole of Sicily seemed about to fall under the Cartha- 
ginian sway (b.c. 409). But Dionysius the Elder, at 
that time tyrant of Syracuse, received the invaders with 




COIN OF SICILY. 



such spirit that they thought it prudent to make terms 
with him and return home, leaving, however, some of 
the Sicilian cities still under tribute. Dionysius here- 



20 



GLORY OF SYRACUSE. 



upon sent a herald to Carthage, requiring the evacuation 
of the island ; and although fresh troops were sent over 
from Africa, he succeeded, after a long struggle, in ex- 
pelling the invaders from the Sicilian soil. 

Agathocles was the next to roll back the tide of Car- 
thaginian aggression, ever directed towards Sicily. After 
his death the island again fell into confusion (b.c. 289). 
The Campanians, who had been employed in the late 
war, seized upon Messina, assumed the name of Mamer- 
tines, and introduced a fresh element of disorder. Again 
menaced by Carthage, the Syracusans called in the 
assistance of Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, who reduced 
Panormus, but was unable to expel the Carthaginians 
from LilybaBum, their great stronghold (B.C. 278-276). 
Dissatisfied with his treatment, he shortly after evacuated 
the island. Hieron II. was now called to the head of 
affairs. Raising an army, he defeated the Mamertines, 
and was saluted King of Syracuse by the grateful 
citizens (b.c. 275-216). He raised Syracuse to the 
highest pitch of glory it had ever attained. His court 
was the resort of the most celebrated men of Greece — 
Theocritus, Bion, Moschus, and Archimedes were among 
its ornaments. As a proof to what eminence the arts 
had attained, may be cited the magnificent ship pre- 
sented by Hieron to Ptolemy, king of Egypt, in which 
all the resources of the mechanical and ornamental arts 
were combined. With Hieron expired the glory of 



SICILY SUBJUGATED BY THE KOMANS. 



21 



Syracuse. After his death anarchy resumed its sway, 
and the island, divided and unable to maintain her in- 
dependence, became the prize for which her more power- 
ful neighbours contended (B.C. 264). 

In the annexed coin (page 19) of the Carthaginians 
in Sicily, the legs mean Trinacria, the horse indicates 
Carthage, and the head is that of Proserpine. 

The Romans, having subjugated all the states of Lower 
Italy, found the invitation of the Mamertines a welcome 
occasion of including Sicily within their conquests. 
During the Punic Wars, the island and its waters be- 
came the theatre of repeated sea-fights between the rival 
powers of Rome and Carthage. The latter occupied 
Agrigentum, which after a lengthened resistance was 
wrested froiri them by the Romans (B.C. 210). The 
memorable siege and capture of Syracuse by Marcellus 
(b.c. 214—212), terminated tbe independence of that 
great city, and Sicily became a Roman province. Its 
wealth drew down on it the oppression of the Roman 
officers, and gave rise to the Servile Wars with which 
the country was long desolated.* Among these rapacious 
agents, Verres was the most unprincipled (B.C. 73-70). 
His atrocious behaviour was powerfully exposed by 
Cicero, who was quaestor of Lilybseum (B.C. 75). He 
travelled over the island, and has left descriptions of the 
most remarkable objects that attracted his attention. 

* First Servile War, b.c. 135-132 ; Second Servile War, b c. 103-100 



22 



INVASION OF THE SARACENS. 



As the Roman Empire declined, Sicily declined with 
it. Christianity, planted perhaps by St. Paul himself 
(a.d. 42), was established, and the Sicilian cities became 
so many Episcopal Sees. Next ensued the violence and 
disorder of the Barbarian irruptions. The Vandals, and 
afterwards the Goths, ravaged the island (a.d. 466—535), 
but were expelled by the Byzantine emperors, who held 
the sceptre for four centuries with feeble and precarious 
sway (A.D. 535-941). 

The Arabs, fired by religious enthusiasm, having 
extended their triumphs along the shores of Africa, were 
invited to the conquest of Sicily by the same internal 
dissension which had so often introduced a foreign foe 
(a.d. 827). Euphemius, general of the Byzantine forces, 
had stolen a beautiful nun from her cloister, and being 
condemned to an ignominious punishment, fled into 
Africa, and treacherously instigated the Mohammedans 
to invade the island. Syracuse was defended with an 
heroic valour worthy of her better days, but in vain (a.d. 
878). Taormina held out for several months (a.d. 902). 
The Saracens at length overran the whole island (A.D. 
941). The chief cities became the seats of Mussulman 
emirs ; and the same elegant civilization of the Arabs, the 
same arts and sciences, the same architecture and 
husbandry, which adorned the Moorish kingdom in 
Spain, were transplanted to a soil no less congenial for 
their development. But internal dissension prevented 



THE NOKMANS IN SICILY. 



23 



the Saracens from forming a compact and solid state, 
and thus they lay easily exposed to the inroads of a 
fresh invader. 

About the time when England was conquered by 
William the Norman, a band of his fellow-knights 
repaired to the south of Italy in quest of employment or 
adventure. The state of society was then utterly dis- 
organized. " The scenes of real life," to quote the words 
of Mr. Gaily Knight, " resembled those of a melo- 
dramatic theatre, in which incidents the most improbable 
diversify the piece, and personages the least expected 
figure upon the stage." The Pope, the Lombards, the 
Byzantines, and the Saracens, were alternately at issue 
with each other ; and the lances of these iron-clad 
Norman knights, educated to war from the cradle, were 
eagerly sought after, and often proved decisive of victory. 
Profiting by these dissensions, the Normans soon ob- 
tained a footing in Calabria, and William of the Iron 
Arm, son of Tancred of Hauteville, was elected leader. 
Robert and Roger, two of his brothers, now repaired to 
Calabria in the disguise of pilgrims, and the former 
assumed the title of Count (a.d. 1072). Finally, in 
1105, Roger, second son of Count Roger, also came over, ■ 
the last and most fortunate of this adventurous band. 
Even as a fugitive Greek had invited the Saracens to 
invade Sicily, so did a Saracen chief, deprived of his 
government, encourage a Norman to wrest the island 



21 



GOVERNMENT OF THE NORMANS. 



from his countrymen. Roger crossed the Straits of 
Messina, defeated the Mohammedans in several battles, 
and finally subdued the entire island. His fellow- 
adventurers saluted him king ; and thus the young 
knight who had left Normandy with no possession but 
his sword was crowned at Palermo, the first monarch 
who had ever ruled over the whole of Sicily (a.d. 1130). 

When the Normans, as Palmeri observes, came into 
possession of the island in the eleventh century, they 
found it inhabited by men of different origin, each 
having their respective laws, language, religion, manners, 
and customs. Besides the aborigines, there was a 
remnant of Greeks, moreover Lombards, Saracens in 
great numbers, also Jews, to whom were now added the 
Romans themselves. The Saracens had left the rest of 
the inhabitants in possession of their respective rights — 
a sagacious and liberal policy confirmed by the Norman 
conqueror. His kingdom was administered with wisdom 
and energy. He carried his arms into Africa, and waged 
war with the Byzantine emperor. The feudal system 
was established, parliament called together, and Sicily, 
so long weakened by division, became for the first time 
an united and a powerful state. 

The prosperity of the Norman kingdom was for a 
while impaired by the misgovernment of his successor, 
William, commonly called the Bad, a weak and indolent 
prince, addicted to luxury, and governed by unworthy 



A DOMESTIC TRAGEDY. 



25 



favourites (A.D. 1154-1166). Shutting himself up in 
his palace with the ministers of his pleasures, he 
neglected the affairs of his kingdom, until a formidable 
insurrection of his barons aroused him from his inglorious 
apathy. The conspirators seized upon his youthful son, 
the Duke of Apulia, and threatened to depose William, 
who at length arose, and by a vigorous effort suppressed 
the dangerous tumult. His triumph was darkened by a 
melancholy domestic tragedy. The young duke, as soon 
as the tumult was over, was running open-armed to his 
father, when William, irritated by his supposed complicity 
with the conspirators, dashed him away with such 
violence, that the poor child expired shortly after in his 
mother's embrace. Nothing could assuage the grief of 
the wretched king, who, throwing aside his royal mantle, 
cast himself on the ground in an agony of fruitless 
remorse. Recovering at length from his dejection, he 
shut himself up in his palace, and desiring his servants 
henceforth to exclude anything that could occasion him 
the least anxiety, addressed all his energies to his 
favourite pursuit of architecture, until suddenly cut- 
off in the very prime of an inglorious, unhappy ex- 
istence. 

His surviving son, William, being then only in his 
fourteenth year, the queen-mother was appointed regent, 
who sent at length for her kinsman Stephen, Count of 
Perch e, to reform the disorders occasioned by the previous 



26 



AN ILLUSTRIOUS SOVEREIGN. 



reign ; which he did with such success, that the people 
declared him an angel sent from heaven for their relief. 
He was at length expelled by faction, and the king now 
coming of age, selected for his prime minister Gualterio 
Ofammilio, an Englishman of humble birth, his name 
indicating that he was the son of a miller. The talents 
of Walter and the energy of William II. suppressed the 
disorders occasioned by faction and misrule, and the 
Sicilian kingdom soon arose to more than its original 
splendour (a.d. 1166-1189). "Instead," says Gaily 
Knight, " of delegating his power to unworthy favourites, 
like his unhappy father, William anxiously selected the 
men best adapted for the situations in which they were 
placed ; and attending himself to all the duties of his 
station, was respected by the barons, beloved by the 
people, and only feared by the wicked. He did not 
further amend the constitution, but he caused the laws 
which existed to be obeyed. He made no conquests, 
but he maintained the dignity of the crown and the 
honour of the Sicilian name. He had armies which 
distinguished themselves in the field, fleets which were 
surpassed by none in the Mediterranean. He was no 
less considered by the Greek Emperor and the Moham- 
medan Sultan than by the Italian states. And how 
much he deserved to be valued by his own subjects may 
be collected from the words of an old chronicler, who 
says c that in the time of William II. there was more 



CCEUE DE LION AT MESSINA. 



27 



security in the thickets of Sicily than in the cities of 
other kingdoms.' " 

As William the Good left no children, he united 
Constantia, his father's sister, to the son of the Emperor 
Frederick Barbarossa, and exacted from the barons an 
oath of allegiance to them. But after his death, the 
people disliking to submit to a foreign ruler, chose the 
valiant and accomplished Tancred, grandson of King 
Roger, as their king (a.d. 1189-1194). The Crusades 
were now on foot, and Philip Augustus of France, with 
Richard Cceur de Lion, wintered at Messina with their 
respective armies. Tancred contributed one hundred 
sail to their armament ; but the English king demanded 
besides, extensive territories in Apulia as an appanage 
for his sister, the widow of William II. While Tancred 
hesitated to comply, the fiery Cceur de Lion stormed 
Messina, and planted his standard upon its walls. After 
being compelled in great measure to yield to his demands, 
Tancred, with the arrival of spring, had the satisfaction 
of seeing these turbulent visitors depart for the shores of 
Palestine. 

Henry VI., the husband of Constantia (daughter of 
King Roger), having succeeded to the empire, now 
proceeded to invade Apulia ; but was hardly compelled 
to retire When Tancred died of grief for the loss of his 
eldest son. Henry then reduced Sicily, and was crowned 
at Palermo (a.d. 1194). Sybilla, the widow of Tancred, 



28 



THE EMPEKOR FREDERICK. 



fled with her children to the stronghold of Caltabellotta,, 
Thence she was soon after induced to descend by the 
artful promises of Henry, who having thus obtained 
possession of her person, threw her into prison, and put 
out the eyes of her son. The cruelty of the alien king 
occasioned a revolt of the barons ; and while besieging 
Castro Giovanni he was seized with a fever, which 
speedily terminated his existence. 

Constantia assumed the regency until her son, the 
Emperor Frederick II., became of age (a.d. 1197). 
This great and accomplished man was brought up in the 
palace of Palermo, where he collected around him poets 
and men of learning, and laboured to soften the rugged 
manners of his barons. But the greatest debt of the 
Sicilians to Frederick was for his amendment of their 
constitution. He revised the Norman code ; and to 
diminish the excessive power of the barons, abolished 
their privilege of private jurisdiction, and compelled 
their submission to the laws. It is Avell observed by 
Palmeri, that such was the nature of feudal government, 
the authority of the prince was either null or absolute in 
proportion to his personal weakness or energy. So 
commanding was the character of Frederick that he was 
enabled, in the year' 1240, to introduce a system of 
popular representation, consisting of two delegates from 
every city or district. He also pronounced the absolute 
independence and unity of the Sicilian kingdom. And 



THE PONTIFF AND THE CROWN, 



29 



thus the constitution founded by King Roger, amended 
by this illustrious man, became the sure and indefeasible 
charter of the liberties of Sicily. 

Frederick had by his liberal policy rendered himself 
odious to the Pope, and as his natural son and successor, 
Manfred, followed in the steps of his father (a.d. 1254), 
the Pontiff (Clement IV.) offered the Sicilian crown first 
to the King of England, and afterwards to Charles, Duke 
of Anjou and Provence. " A more illegitimate combina- 
tion," says Mr. Knight, "or one more characteristic of 
the times, can scarcely be conceived. A priest giving 
away the crown of an independent monarch — a sovereign 
hunted down as a public enemy, who, by the order and 
flourishing condition into which he had brought his 
dominions had shown himself deserving of the station 
which he filled — a people, transferred like so many 
sheep to the stranger — and the head of the Church, 
regardless of the wrongs, and the bloodshed, and the 
agonies which he was about to cause." The pique and 
mortification of a woman, according to Amari, are said 
to have fanned the flame of ambition in the breast of 
Charles. " At a festive entertainment held in the French 
court Beatrice, Countess of Provence, was removed from 
the superior range of seats occupied by her two younger 
sisters, the Queen of France and the Queen of England. 
Mortified by this humiliation, she returned to her 
apartments excited by ill-humour and dissolved in tears. 



80 



manfeed's challenge. 



On learning the cause of her chagrin, Charles embraced 
her affectionately, and added, ' Set your heart at rest, 
Countess, for before long I will make you a greater 
queen than either of your sisters.' And this far beyond 
other causes was the moving spring to his seizure of 
Sicily." Our great poet has shown how ambition is 
capable of denaturalizing woman, and Beatrice " would 
have given her very life to have confined her tresses 
beneath a diadem but for a single moment." In those 
dark days the donation of a Pope could give the show 
of right to the foulest usurpation, and invest the most 
selfish or revengeful scheme with the holy name of an 
enterprise in the cause of religion. A general crusade 
was fomented against the Sicilian monarch as the patron 
of Saracens and the enemy of the Church. Manfred 
boldly met his enemies at Benevento, on the banks of 
the Garigliano, in Apulia, attended by his faithful 
Mussulmen. "Tell' him," said Charles, in reply to these 
auxiliaries, " that he shall either send me to Paradise, or 
I will send him to hell." The contest was long and 
obstinate, until the base desertion of the Apulian barons 
rendered further resistance hopeless, and Manfred, 
rushing into the thick of the fight, perished as became 
the last scion of an illustrious and warlike stock (a.d. 
1266). 

Thus came to an end the Norman line, as brief as it 
was brilliant in its career, but leaving behind, both in 



EXECUTION OF CORRADINO. 



31 



the institutions and monuments of Sicily, magnificent 
memorials of its genius and good fortune. 

By the death of Manfred but a single obstacle 
remained to the full accomplishment of the designs of 
Charles and Beatrice ; and this was soon swept away 
with the ruthless cruelty of selfish ambition. The 
serpent in the path was the youthful Corradino, son and 
heir of Conrad IV., who had inherited the claims of his 
father Frederick II. to the throne of Sicily and Apulia. 
Braving the papal ban, he resolutely determined to assert 
his rights ; and entering Italy with a large army, 
encountered Charles of Anjou, Count of Provence, at the 
fatal battle of Tagliacozzo (a.d. 1268). Its issue was 
disastrous ; his followers were dispersed, and the un- 
fortunate youth was soon taken prisoner, and subjected 
to a mock trial at Naples, intended to give a colour of 
justice to his execution. Only a single advocate, Guido 
di Luzzara, whose name deserves to be immortalized, 
had the courage to espouse the cause of Corradino, and 
to declare " that it was a mockery to call him a disturber 
of the public peace who sought only to recover a 
kingdom to which he could boast an incontestable right." 
But the judges, corrupt or overawed, pronounced the 
doom of death ; and neither pity nor mediation — not 
even the remonstrances of the friends of Charles — could 
shake his cruel resolution, too probably shared by the 
Pope himself, to fulfil this atrocious sentence. 



82 



A YOUTHFUL VICTIM. 



On the 29th of September 1268, the scaffold was 
erected in the Piazza del Carmine at Naples ; and amidst 
a vast crowd, filled with indignation and horror, the unfor- 
tunate boy of sixteen, the last heir of emperors and kings, 
ascended with unmoved mien to the place of execution, 
accompanied by his faithful friends the Duke of Austria 
and the Count Gerardo of Pisa. Charles of Anjou and 
the tiger-hearted Beatrice took post in a high tower to 
glut their vengeance with a sight of the blood of their 
youthful victim. A copy of the sentence was then read 
aloud ; but when Corradino heard himself denounced as 
a traitor, he boldly appealed to God and the people 
against the unjust imputation. Hearing the noise of a 
blow, he suddenly turned round, and beholding the head 
of the Duke of Austria fallen on the scaffold he took it 
up, pressed it to his bosom, and repeatedly kissed it ; 
then embracing his executioner in sign of forgiveness, 
laid his head upon the block, and in a moment was cut 
off from among the living. By this cruel act, to use the 
indignant words of Luther, "was quenched the noble 
blood of Conradine, the last Duke of Suabia, and 
hereditary King of Naples." But this blood was not 
destined to go long unavenged. 

The Sicilians now sunk, helpless and hapless, beneath 
the yoke of the French, and too soon had cause to repent 
of the inadequate support they had* given to Manfred, 
whose sway they now bitterly regretted. Charles of 



JOHN DI PROCIDA. 



33 



Anjou fully satiated his revenge upon the adherents of 
the house of Suabia, and gave up the island to the mal- 
administration of lieutenants, who crushed the wretched 
inhabitants beneath a load of taxes, and oppressed them 
with the direst extremity of feudal license. The people 
were driven to despair ; and while the ambitious Charles 
was meditating the conquest of the Greek empire, a con- 
spiracy was set on foot to deliver Sicily from his hated 
yoke. The principal agent in this plan was John di 
Procida, a proscribed adherent of the House of Suabia. 
" His birth was noble " — to quote the account of Gib- 
bon — "but his education was learned, and in the 
poverty of exile he was relieved by the practice of physic, 
which he had studied in the school of Salerno. Fortune 
had left him nothing to lose except life, and to despise 
life is the first qualification of a rebel. The island was 
roused to a sense of freedom by his eloquence, and he 
displayed to every baron his private interest in the com- 
mon cause. In the confidence of foreign aid he succes- 
sively visited the courts of the Greek emperor, and of 
Peter, King of Arragon, who possessed the maritime 
countries of Valentia and Catalonia. To the ambitious 
Peter a crown was presented which he might justly 
claim by his marriage with the sister of Manfred, and 
by the dying voice of Corradino, who from the scaffold 
v had cast a ring to his heir and avenger. Palseologus was 
easily persuaded to divert his enemy from a foreign war 

(212) 3 



84 



THE MINE IS LAID. 



by a rebellion at home, and a Greek subsidy of twenty- 
five thousand ounces of gold was most profitably applied 
to arm a Catalan fleet, which sailed under a holy banner 
to the specious attack of the Saracens of Africa. In the 
disguise of a monk or beggar the indefatigable missionary 
of revolt flew from Constantinople to Rome, and from 
Sicily to Saragossa ; the treaty was signed with the seal 
of Pope Nicholas himself, the enemy of Charles, and his 
deed of gift transferred the fiefs of St. Peter from the 
House of Anjou to that of Arragon. So widely diffused 
and so freely circulated, the secret was preserved for above 
two years with impenetrable discretion, and each of the 
conspirators imbibed the maxim of Peter, who declared that 
he would cut off his left hand if it were conscious of the 
intentions of his right. The mine was prepared with 
deep and dangerous artifice ; but it may be questioned 
whether the instant explosion at Palermo were the effect 
of accident or design." 

Most probably it was the former ; one of those fearful 
ebullitions of southern passion, provoked by a long course 
of cruel outrage, when men's minds are in so dangerous 
a state of excitement that a single incident, falling like 
a spark upon a train already prepared, may occasion the 
most terrible convulsion. 

On the vigil of Easter, says Amari, in the year 1282, 
at the Church of San Spirito, situated in the fields — 
then clad in all their vernal beauty — about half a mile 



THE SICILIAN VESPERS. 



35 



from Palermo, a great concourse of the citizens had 
assembled for vespers, when the French, in number about 
two hundred, charged some of them with wearing con- 
cealed arms, and meditating resistance to authority. In 
the midst of the crowd advanced a beautiful young 
woman, surrounded by her friends, when one of the 
Frenchmen, named Drouet, under the pretence of search- 
ing for a hidden weapon, insolently thrust his hand into 
her bosom. She instantly fainted, and fell into her 
husband's arms, who furiously exclaimed, " Oh, let those 
Frenchmen die!" "Death to the French!" was re- 
echoed by the infuriated crowd, who, armed with knives, 
clubs, and sticks, fell with such desperation upon their 
armed enemies, that they cut them off even to a single 
man. With passions thus inflamed, they then rushed 
into the city, broke into the convents, and killed every 
monk of French extraction. The butchery was horrible ; 
no altar served as a refuge ; men, women, and children 
fell indiscriminate victims to the tempest of popular 
frenzy. Such bloodthirsty ferocity, as Palmeri well ob- 
serves, would stamp the Sicilian name with indelible 
infamy, were it not justified in some degree by the illegal 
manner in which the Angevins had come into possession 
of the kingdom — by the murder of Conrad and so many 
other victims, the subversion of all law, and the cruelty 
and oppression under which the people had so long 
groaned. The French were hunted down through the 



36 



CONSEQUENCES OF THE ACT. 



whole island, and attacked in their castles, from the 
towers of which they precipitated themselves in despair. 
The Sicilians killed every one detected as a foreigner by 
observing his pronunciation of the word " ciceri" or 
vetches — a test similar to that of " Shibboleth," instituted 
by Jephthah on the slaughter of the Israelites. Not a 
Frenchman was left alive, except William de Porcelet, 
whose exemplary virtues obtained his immunity even in 
this hour of dreadful retribution. 

The Sicilian Vespers made a profound sensation in 
Europe, and became proverbial for an act of sweeping 
and terrible revenge. Severed from the causes that pro- 
duced it, it has been too generally regarded as a deep- 
laid scheme of treacherous cruelty, rather than one of 
those sudden and terrible risings against intolerable 
wrong which shot dismay through the hearts of tyrants. 
Gibbon tells us that "the French were long taught to 
remember this bloody lesson." " If I am provoked," said 
Henry the Fourth, "I will breakfast at Milan and dine 
at Naples." "Your majesty," replied the Spanish am- 
bassador, "may perhaps arrive in Sicily for vespers." 
On the other hand, the success of the Sicilian revolution 
gave a great impulse to the " heaven-inspired " cause of 
liberty in Europe, as it was regarded, and encouraged 
the Flemish and the Swiss to burst asunder the chains of 
foreign domination. 

The news of the Sicilian revolution surprised and almost 



INVASION OF SICILY. 



37 



overwhelmed Charles of Anjou amidst his ambitious pro- 
jects for the conquest of Constantinople. His power, 
which seemed but lately founded on a rock, was sud- 
denly about to sink amidst the shifting quicksands, and 
he was heard to exclaim, " God, if thou hast decreed 
to humble me, grant me at least a gentle and gradual 
descent from the pinnacle of greatness." The prepara- 
tions intended for the conquest of the Greek empire were 
now employed in the attempt to reduce the rebellious 
Sicilians, upon whom he determined to wreak a deep and 
a bloody revenge. 

The first fury of the storm was destined to fall upon 
Messina ; but at the earnest entreaty of the Pope and 
cardinals that he would endeavour to effect the submis- 
sion of his revolted subjects by persuasion, Charles con- 
sented that Cardinal Gehrard should open a negotiation 
with them. Overawed by so formidable a force, the 
Messinese appeared inclined to submit on promise of a 
general pardon, the restitution of their rights, and that 
no Frenchman should be allowed to hold office in Sicily. 
But all negotiations were cut short by the overbearing 
pride and savage cruelty of Charles, who required that eight 
hundred of the principal rebels should be consigned to 
his tender mercies. The inhabitants, stimulated by the 
heroism of Alaimo their governor, defended the city with 
the energy of despair ; and if their spirits flagged for a 
> moment in the conflict, they were rekindled by the zeal 



38 DEFEAT OF THE FRENCH. 

and devotion of the women, who laboured at the ram- 
parts and struggled with the besiegers as they attained 
the parapets. The French were repulsed at every point, 
and Charles at length gave orders to retreat. The whole 
French fleet was attacked and destroyed by the forces 
of Roger de Loria, the Catalan admiral, and Charles, 
baffled and enraged, was compelled to flee abruptly into 
Calabria. 

The Sicilian Parliament now called to the throne 
Peter III., of Aragon, who had married Constantia, 
daughter of Manfred (a.d. 1282). Charles of Anjou 
waged a long and abortive war to recover it, and the 
rest of his career was rendered miserable by the disap- 
pointment of his ambitious hopes. 

In the Parliament of 1286, the sole occasions on which 
subsidies could be granted were rigorously defined by the 
assembled deputies. James, the successor of Peter, sur- 
named "the Just," treacherously made over his rights in 
the kingdom to the detested Angevins (a.d. 1295). The 
Sicilians energetically revolting, called in the Infant 
Frederick, of whom they obtained still further concessions 
(A.D. 1296-1337). The statutes of this reign are 
regarded as the Magna Charta of Sicily ; and Sicilian 
historians remark that, involving as they do the princi- 
ples of popular representation, responsibility of ministers, 
and an annual parliament, they were voted by their re- 
presentatives, and freely conceded by the monarch. 



A HISTORICAL RESUME. 



30 



It would be tedious to detail the history of Sicily 
from the fall of the Norman kingdom to our own day ; 
a period during which, no longer having a resident king, 
she experienced all the evils arising from a distant monarch 
and a delegated sway — the invasion of parliamentary 
privilege — the encroachment of the barons, and the de- 
gradation of the people. Too weak, amidst the great 
monarchies of modern Europe, to stand in her unassisted 
strength, she became the passive subject of foreign 
arrangements to secure the " balance of power," in which 
England early took a conspicuous share. It was thus, 
to quote from a recent pamphlet, that " after the war of 
the Spanish succession, which terminated in the perma- 
nent accession of the French Bourbons to the crown of 
Spain, it was by the express interference of England that 
Sicily, which till then had formed part of the Spanish 
empire, was ceded to the House of Savoy. Seven years 
later, however, in the year 1720, the island was allowed 
to fall under the Austrian dominion, and finally, in 1735, 
it passed, together with Naples, under the rule of the 
new Bourbon dynasty of Spain, in the person of Don 
Carlos, the son of the Spanish monarch Philip V. Dur- 
ing the wars of the French revolution, it was the influence 
of England, the self-constituted champion of the Bourbons 
all over Europe, that preserved Sicily to the representa- 
tive of this line, Ferdinand IV., first in 1799, when the 
troops of the French republic invaded Naples, and after- 



40 



FEKDINAND IN SICILY. 



wards in 1806, when Napoleon made Naples a subsidiary 
kingdom." 

At this period, England, seeing the continent overrun 
by the French, entered into a closer alliance with the 
King of Naples, with a view to check their further pro- 
gress, and to preserve Sicily also from their grasp. She 
agreed, therefore, to maintain an army in the island, and 
furnish besides a considerable subsidy to the Neapolitan 
government. 

On the night of the 23rd of December, Lord Nelson 
brought off the royal family to Palermo. Sicily was now 
occupied by an English force, and the king remained 
there until the treaty of Amiens, when he returned to 
Naples. On the renewal of hostilities the French ad- 
vanced into the peninsula, Murat became King of Naples, 
and Ferdinand was again obliged to seek a safe asylum 
in Sicily. 

At this period the oppression of the feudal aristocracy 
had become insupportable ; but by the energy of the 
Viceroy Caraccioli it was greatly abridged. The people 
had awakened to a sense of their rights, and a general 
spirit of political regeneration had sprung up, when the 
Parliament of 1810 was convoked. By his sole autho- 
rity the king had imposed an arbitrary tax, against 
which certain patriotic barons protested as being uncon- 
stitutional. The king, contrary to an earnest protest by 
Louis Philippe, Duke of Orleans, replied by putting them 



ENGLISH INTERFERENCE. 



41 



in prison. It was now that England, anxious to main- 
tain the principles of constitutional freedom in the face 
of Napoleon's despotism, and having, by her subsidies 
and troops, justly acquired a stake in Sicilian affairs, 
resolved to interfere. Lord William Bentinck, a noble- 
man of high and generous character, appointed English 
minister and commander of the English forces, landed at 
Palermo two days after the imprisonment of the barons. 
He lost no time in protesting against so tyrannical a 
measure, but unable to procure redress, returned to Eng- 
land to obtain fresh powers and instructions. In a 
period incredibly short he was again at Palermo, authori- 
tatively demanding the abolition of the tax and the re- 
lease of the barons. As the court proved refractory, he 
marched the British troops on Palermo, and calling before 
him the heir to the throne, addressed him as follows : — 
" I have tried every method to make the king listen to 
reason, but to no purpose. Desperate evils require des- 
perate remedies. I shall repair to Palermo at the head 
of my forces, and embark your father and mother for 
London. If by acceding to my demands you become 
the friend of Great Britain, you will reign instead ; if 
not, there will be another ship ready for you, and Great 
Britain will crown your son and establish a regency." 
Seeing his lordship thus decided, the court agreed to all 
his demands, while he, on his part, consented that the 
king should retain his title, withdrawing, however, from 



42 



INTESTINE DISSENSIONS. 



the government, and leaving the prince as his sub- 
stitute. 

The imprisoned barons were now released, ■ and Castel- 
nuovo and Belmonte, the two most able of them, placed 
at the head of affairs. The Parliament, under these 
auspices, seriously set to work to remodel their consti- 
tution after that of England. There were to be two 
chambers : the legislative functions were to reside in the 
Parliament, the executive power in the king. Feudal 
privileges and baronial jurisdiction, so long the curse of 
Sicily, were abandoned. The taxes were to be voted by 
Parliament. To all these terms the court was at length 
compelled to accede, the constitution was published, and 
the queen, who had never ceased to intrigue against its 
establishment, obliged to leave the island, to which she 
never afterwards returned. 

But, alas, the Parliament of 1813, unused to free dis- 
cussion and to the despatch of public business, was 
speedily rent asunder by faction, which it became the 
policy of the court to inflame. Three parties — Royalists, 
Constitutionalists, and Democrats— ^divided the Parlia- 
ment ; the first and the last formed a coalition to over- 
whelm the second. The chambers refused to vote the 
subsidies until certain concessions had been made, and 
the public business came to a stand-still. The constitu- 
tionalist ministers abandoned their posts in disgust. 
Weary of this state of things, all parties at length agreed 



INCORPORATION OF SICILY. 



43 



to request the king to resume the reins of government 
A new set of ministers of royal appointment soon con- 
trived to bring the system into contempt ; and thus the 
new constitution began to be regarded as a failure. But 
the final blow was given to it by the altered policy of 
that same power by which it had been called into exist- 
ence. 

Lord William Bentinck, deeply distressed at the un- 
toward issue of his plans, had left Sicily, and been suc- 
ceeded as minister by Sir William a' Court. The war 
against Napoleon, which had led England to seek the 
Sicilian alliance, had ended, and Lord Castlereagh and 
the European ministers were engaged in remodelling the 
kingdoms which Bonaparte had overthrown. 

On the 8th of December 1816, appeared an edict, 
wherein the King of Naples declared that Sicily having 
been incorporated with his other dominions by the con- 
gress of Vienna, he should henceforth assume the title of 
King of the Two Sicilies. Thus, by a single stroke of 
the pen the ancient liberties of the island were laid pros- 
trate at the feet of a despot. True, indeed, the stipula- 
tion was made that the rights and privileges of the 
Sicilians should be respected ; but, having no longer the 
formal guarantee of England, such promises were speedily 
forgotten, and the reign of absolutism recommenced. It 
is true, also, that indignant protestations were made in 
Parliament by Lord William Bentinck and Sir James 



41 



REVOLT AT PALERMO. 



Mackintosh against the gross inconsistency of virtually 
abandoning a people whose affairs we had so lately shaped 
after our own will. But the temporary failure of the 
experiment was unfortunately obvious, and the Sicilian 
Parliament, which, indeed, had never taken practically 
any active share in the general government of the island, 
was contemptuously decried by Lord Castlereagh as, in 
fact, a mere political nullity, existing only in name. 

Four years of Neapolitan misrule prepared a fresh re- 
volt, and on the breaking out of the revolution at Naples, 
the Palermitans also took up arms. In such cases, the 
policy of the Neapolitan government, when its imbecility 
and oppression had produced a rising, has ever been to 
concede for the moment any reforms extorted by its fears ; 
and, notwithstanding the most solemn oaths, revoke them 
as soon as it had again obtained the ascendency. No 
matter how solemnly the monarch may have promised — 
no matter if he have invoked the witness of the Al- 
mighty to the fidelity of his contract ; the devilish 
casuistry of Jesuitism can always find a means of escape, 
by suggesting that oaths made to rebellious subjects, under 
the pressure of necessity, have no obligation for a king 
who rules by divine right alone. On this occasion the 
king proclaimed for the Neapolitans a popular constitu- 
tion upon the model of that in Spain. The democratic 
party at Palermo, demanding the same constitution, also 
proclaimed their independence of Naples. General Pepe 



A PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT. 



45 



was sent to suppress the revolt, and entered into a con- 
vention with the rebels ; but no sooner had they laid 
down their arms than the king refused to ratify it, at 
which Pepe indignantly resigned his post. Next year 
the Neapolitan revolution was put down by a body of 
troops from Austria — Austria, the sworn enemy of con- 
stitutional government in Italy, and who dictates the 
policy, and directs the movements of the inferior states. 

A fresh outbreak took place at Palermo in January 
1848. From every house there issued a combatant. 
The convent gates were thrown open, and the Capuchins 
distributed arms and ammunition. The Neapolitan 
troops were overpowered, and ten thousand peasants 
nocked in to join the citizens. At Messina and all the 
large towns the revolution was successfully accomplished. 
A Provisional Government was formed, headed by Rug- 
giero Settimo, an officer of high standing, and by the 
Duke of Serra-di-falco, distinguished as a scholar and 
antiquary. A large force was sent from Naples to quell 
the movement ; but so great was the enthusiastic valour 
of the people that the citadel at Palermo soon fell into 
the hands of the insurgents. 

At this crisis it happened that Lord Minto was travel- 
ling in Italy upon a mission from Lord Palmerston, to 
encourage and direct so far as possible the liberal move- 
ments then in progress. His mediation was earnestly 
requested both by the King of Naples and the Sicilians 



46 



CONDITION OF SICILY. 



themselves, who now demanded the re-establishment of 
the constitution of 1812, originated by Lord Bentinck. 
Their feeling is well expressed in a dispatch from Lord 
Napier to the Foreign Secretary : — " There is," he 
observes, "a strong root of separate nationality in Sicily. 
The history of that country diverges in many epochs 
and in many particulars from that of Naples ; and, 
thanks to the protection and ascendency of Great 
Britain, it did not even in the general catastrophe fall 
under the conquest of a foreign power, but was preserved 
to its legitimate sovereign, who, by the advice of Great 
Britain, confirmed and improved the ancient institutions 
of the island in the Parliament of 1812. The Sicilians 
assert with pride, that neither when attached to the 
vast dominion of ancient Spain, nor when incorporated 
with the Bourbon family after the Spanish line expired, 
have they ever lost the tradition of a national Parlia- 
ment. Under the stern rule of Philip II., against the 
levelling arts of Charles III., they maintained their 
baronial assemblies ; and when the feudal system fell, 
those mediaeval forms were modified in a constitution 
still embodying the aristocratic principle, which, estab- 
lished under the care of a great and, as they fondly 
believed, a kindred nation, was recognized by the laws 
of 1816, and though arbitrarily dissolved and suspended 
ever since, has not lost its legitimate force, nor died in 
the remembrance or the affections of the people." 



BOUKBON DUPLICITY. 47 

Under the pressure of the moment, the king issued a 
new constitution, incorporating Sicily and Naples in one 
common Parliament. To this arrangement, however, 
the Sicilians would not consent, although it was warmly 
advocated by Lord Palmerston himself as being most 
suitable to the actual state of Europe. " Sicily," as he 
well observed, "although a fine island, full of natural 
resources, and inhabited by a highly-gifted people, is 
nevertheless not large enough to be, in the present state 
of the world, a really independent country ; and were it 
entirely separated from Naples, it would soon run the 
risk of becoming an object of contest for foreign influence, 
and of sinking at last into the condition of satellite to 
some of the more powerful states of Europe." Acting 
upon these instructions, Lord Minto laboured to recon- 
cile the Sicilians to the proffered constitution ; at the 
same time assuring the Neapolitan king, that should 
they insist on their separate and national Parliament, 
always recognized as of force by Great Britain, it must 
necessarily be conceded to them. As the Sicilians were 
now triumphant, the king, finding them determined on 
this head, promised compliance ; but on one vital point 
there arose an insuperable dirficulty. The Sicilians, 
aware that their liberties never could be safe while the 
island was full of Neapolitan troops, demanded that they 
should be withdrawn ; but to this the king refused his 
consent, not without insinuating that it was with the 



48 



ATTITUDE OF THE SICILIANS. 



view of ultimately possessing herself of the island that 
England supported them in this demand. 

The Sicilian Parliament had been summoned by the 
Provisional Government when the French Republic was 
proclaimed ; and as there existed a strong democratic 
party in Sicily, it was justly feared that on receipt of 
the news the Palermitans would separate themselves 
from Naples, and perhaps proclaim a republic. Lord 
Minto now proceeded to Palermo, where he found his 
anticipations in great measure realized. The Sicilians 
positively refused any longer to recognize the King of 
Naples ; but on his lordship declaring that the union of 
the two kingdoms must form the basis of a negotiation, 
they reluctantly agreed to accept one of the king's sons 
as their sovereign, pursuant to an article in the Consti- 
tution of 1812, which, as they contended, empowered 
them to choose their king. Although he regarded this 
claim as doubtful, Lord Minto was constrained to admit 
" that upon other grounds they had a stronger case than 
England could plead in 1688 to rid themselves of an 
intolerable tyranny ; and I am not surprised," he adds, 
" that their sufferings under a system of government 
which has reduced this once prosperous country to its 
present condition should have produced the determina- 
tion, everywhere apparent, to separate themselves 
entirely from the crown and influence of Naples, and to 
erect an independent government of their own. The 



DEPOSITION OF FERDINAND. 



49 



resources of Sicily are incalculable ; aud should it now 
succeed in the achievement of its independence, I see no 
reason to doubt of its rapid progress in wealth and pros- 
perity." In another dispatch he observes : " I cannot 
but feel they have a strong claim upon our sympathy 
and protection. The Constitution of 1812, though not 
formally guaranteed by England, was undoubtedly 
imposed upon Sicily by British authority, backed by a 
British army, then virtually in possession of the island. 
The Sicilians tell us that they were willing to submit to 
a continued union of the crowns, however distasteful to 
them, but that, when the King of Naples refuses their 
conditions, they fall back upon the rights secured to 
them by the Constitution of 1812, which entitles them 
to seek their sovereign elsewhere ; aud they ask us to 
recognize those rights which we practically gave them. 
I confess it appears to me difficult to deny the justice of 
this demand." 

The Sicilian Parliament now met, amidst the greatest 
enthusiasm of the people, and solemnly decreed the 
deposition from the throne of Ferdinand Bourbon and 
his dynasty, intending, so soon as their constitution 
should be adapted to the wants of the age, to call to the 
throne some other Italian prince. 

Meanwhile, having failed in their endeavour to main- 
tain the unity of Sicily and Naples, mainly through the 
procrastination and obstinacy of Ferdinand and his 

(212) 4 



50 "BOMB A" AND MESSINA. 

advisers, the British Government formally recognized 
the independence of Sicily, and advised the Sardinian 
court that should the Duke of Genoa, son of their king, 
accept the crown offered to him, his claim would be 
acknowledged by Great Britain. While the Neapolitan 
monarch was busy in protesting against these measures, 
the Provisional Government were occupied in remodelling 
their constitution and introducing measures of practical 
reform. Among the most important of these was the 
abolition of the multure, or tax on grinding corn, the 
oppressiveness of which had long been severely felt by 
the people. Unfortunately, led away by popular excite- 
ment, and contrary to the remonstrances of the British 
authorities, they also sent a force to co-operate with the 
Neapolitan liberals in Calabria. The expedition proved 
a failure, and tended no doubt to exasperate the King of 
Naples, who, finding that the French and English 
intended to remain neutral in the struggle, determined 
to reconquer the island. A large force was sent to 
Messina ; the city bombarded (1849), and taken by 
storm after a frightful struggle. It was owing to Ferdi- 
nand's bombardment of this city and of Palermo that he 
has descended to posterity cursed with the infamous 
nickname of " Bomba." Unable to witness the horrors 
that ensued, the French and English admirals now im- 
peratively enforced a cessation of hostilities ; while 
the ministers of those nations repaired to Gaeta, and 



THE ACT OF GAETA. 



51 



endeavoured to open a fresh negotiation with the 
king. 

As the capture of Messina placed Ferdinand upon 
higher ground, the ambassadors were unable to obtain 
from him terms so favourable as those already rejected 
by the Sicilians. Furnished, however, with such con- 
cessions as they were able to extort, embodied in an 
instrument called the "Act of Gaeta," they hastened to 
Palermo, and earnestly pressed upon the Sicilians the 
prudence of accepting it. But this new act, though 
conceding a separate legislature, reversed at once all the 
reforms lately effected by the Provisional Government ; 
and provided, moreover, that the Neapolitan troops 
should be put in possession of the island. In vain, 
therefore, did the ambassadors urge this ultimatum 
upon the Sicilians ; declaring that, if it failed, they 
must, when the armistice expired, retire with both the 
fleets. Such was the intense hatred of the King of 
Naples — such the utter want of confidence in his pro- 
mises — such the abhorrence excited by the recent 
cruelties at Messina — that the people refused to listen, 
and the proffered conditions were unanimously refused 
by Parliament. 

On the expiration of the armistice hostilities recom- 
menced. By the assistance of several Swiss regiments, 
Catania was taken ; and Palermo was now the only 
place of importance that held out. England having 



62 



TYEANNY OF THE KING. 



retired from the negotiation, the French admiral endea- 
voured to obtain terms at least as good as those of the 
Act of Gaeta. The king amused him, and deceived the 
Sicilians with idle promises, and the Neapolitan troops 
were allowed to regain possession of Palermo. Regard- 
ing the island as virtually conquered, all former stipula- 
tions were cast aside, and the reign of reaction was fully 
established. The affairs of the island were administered 
by a Consulta, under the immediate influence of the 
king, and there no longer existed the shadow of a con- 
stitution or a Parliament. The public debt of Sicily 
was doubled ; the odious tax of the multure, abolished 
by the Provisional Government, re-established ; and a 
fresh tax imposed upon the export of sulphur. Although 
by the capitulation full amnesty was proclaimed, with 
the exception of forty-three individuals, several hundreds 
were cruelly exiled. Martial law was proclaimed ; and, 
on one pretence or another, it is believed that as many 
as fifteen hundred persons were either shot or immured 
in dungeons, and doomed to suffer those terrible tortures 
so eloquently described by Mr. Gladstone, our present 
Premier, in his celebrated exposure of the Neapolitan 
Government and the prisons of Naples. 

For ten years the Sicilians endured in silence their 
miserable fate ; but early in 1860, their hopes being 
revived by the stirring events which had taken place in 
North Italy — by the victories of Magenta and Solferino, 



A REIGN OF TERROR. 



53 



and by the dazzling successes of Garibaldi and his volun- 
teers against the Austrians — they resolved to strike 
" another blow for freedom." At first their attempts, 
isolated and ill-considered, were suppressed, and the 
insurrections which broke out at Palermo, Messina, and 
Catania, having been easily put down by the royal 
troops, the rebels were forced to withdraw into the inte- 
rior of the island. But the peace of Villafranca had 
released Garibaldi from his labours in Northern Italy, 
and the great chief turned his eyes wistfully towards 
his suffering countrymen in the south. To drive the 
Bourbon from the throne of Naples was an indispensable 
preliminary to the fulfilment of his noble ambition — the 
creation of a united Italy ; and he perceived that the 
first blow could best be delivered in Sicily. 

In that island, meantime, under the tyranny of Sal- 
vator Maniscaleo, a Reign of Terror prevailed. His 
agents broke into the houses of the nobility, pulled 
innocent and delicate women from their beds, plundered 
them of their property, and set fire to their houses. It 
is said of this worthy that he invented a so-called 
" angelic mask" — an iron apparatus which, screwed down 
on the head, gradually crushed the brain. He seized 
his victims on the most superficial pretences, shot them 
without trial, and hung them up by the waist until they 
perished of suffocation. In spite of all his precautions, 
the Sicilians learned that Garibaldi was moving to their 



54 



ADVENT OF GAEIBALDI. 



deliverance, and, in spite of the Neapolitan bayonets, 
manifested their joy at the welcome tidings. They 
crowded the streets of Palermo, wearing the national 
colours of Piedmont, and singing aloud, " Garibaldi is 
coming ! Garibaldi is coming ! " The troops were poured 
into the streets, and commanded the populace to shout, 
" Long live Francis II. ! " The reply was, " Long live 
Victor Emmanuel ! " Then began a bloody and indis- 
criminate massacre of men, women, and children. The 
people fled into their houses ; but next morning, as if 
by the wand of a necromancer, the walls suddenly 
blazed with thousands of placards, which all bore the 
talismanic inscription, " Garibaldi is coming !" 

And, in truth, secretly encouraged by Cavour and 
Victor Emmanuel, Garibaldi, with one thousand and 
eighty volunteers, had embarked at Genoa in a couple 
of Sardinian steamers, on the 5th of May. Six days 
afterwards he landed at Marsala, and the shout of the 
Sicilians was changed to — " Garibaldi is come ! " Aban- 
doning his ships, he immediately pushed forward into the 
country, his ranks everywhere swelled by hundreds of 
the peasantry, and his advance led by an enthusiastic 
young monk, named Brother John, bearing on high a 
crucifix. The villages through which they passed 
echoed with joyous exclamations, and their inhabitants 
thronged about their deliverers, kissing and embracing, 
weeping and laughing, with all the fierce emotion of the 



BEFORE PALERMO. 



55 



excitable Southern blood. At Calatafimi they encountered 
an advanced body of the royal troops in vastly superior 
force, well-armed and well-disciplined ; a desperate 
struggle ensued, which was finally decided by the Gari- 
baldian bayonets. The Neapolitans, completely routed, 
fell back upon Palermo (May 15). 

As the royal army was still 27,000 strong, while 
Garibaldi's force only numbered 750 regulars and some 
2000 peasants, it was needful to approach the city by 
the most circuitous route, and to avoid an engagement 
in the open field. By forced marches, says Mr. Haweis, 
over the most rugged and difficult mountain-passes, and 
with incredible speed, the army of deliverance made its 
way, meeting only with the wild goat and the startled 
eagle. Suddenly on the height's around Palermo appeared 
the Garibaldian outposts ; they spread themselves out 
for miles in single files to produce the impression of an 
immense army, but in fact the army was all outposts. 
The NeapolitaDS, notwithstanding their preponderance ot 
strength, durst not beard the lion in his den by attacking 
the great guerrilla chief among the wooded heights ; and 
strongly fortifying the Ponte dell' Amiraglio, which was 
the key of their position, they waited patiently. 

Not long had they to wait. On the 27th of May 
thirty men were pushed forward to storm the bridge, 
and being supported by Ttirr and Bixio's veterans, they 
carried it after a desperate encounter. The road to 



56 



GAKIBALDl'S VICTOEY. 



Palermo was thus thrown open to Garibaldi, but it was 
swept by the concentrated fire of four powerful batteries. 
Nothing daunted, the Deliverer and his ragged host 
pressed on. They forced their way into the city, whose 
inhabitants welcomed them with enthusiasm, and brought 
their furniture and their mattresses to assist in the con- 
struction of barricades. From street to street the flash- 
ing steel drove the dispirited royalists, though the fleet 
in the harbour maintained an incessant bombardment 
against the ill-fated city. But on the third day the 
victory was complete. Garibaldi proclaimed himself 
Dictator of Sicily, and, until instructions could arrive 
from Naples, held the royal troops as prisoners of war. 
"A curious sight!" says Alexander Dumas, "to see 
twenty thousand Neapolitans, provided with forty pieces 
of cannon, confined within their forts, their barracks, 
and their ships, and guarded by eight hundred Gari- 
baldians, who brought them their rations twice a-day ! " 

The remaining incidents of this strange romance, which 
reads more like the invention of some chivalrous poet 
than a sober narrative of modern history, may be briefly 
enumerated. 

Through the intervention of the British fleet, Palermo 
was formally evacuated by the Neapolitans on the 6th 
of June. A Provisional Government was formed ; the 
universal armament of the citizens proclaimed ; and 
having rested and refreshed his forces, Garibaldi hastened 



SICILY ANNEXED TO ITALY. 



57 



to complete his glorious task. On the 20th of July he 
gave battle at Melazzo to the royal army, 2500 Gari- 
baldians against 7000 Neapolitans. His victory was 
glorious ; the fortress was evacuated ; the royalists, dis- 
comfited and disorganized, retired to Messina, which, 
terrified by his name, surrendered without firing a shot. 
On the 3rd of August the Sicilian Constitution, based 
upon that of Piedmont, and securing to the citizen the 
full enjoyment of his rights and privileges, was solemnly 
proclaimed. The Provisional Government, under the 
dictatorship of Salfi, exercised its functions until the 
inhabitants could decide upon the annexation of their 
beautiful island to the Piedmontese monarchy. This 
question was formally submitted to them on the 21st of 
October, and decided in the affirmative by 432,054 
votes against 667. The magnificent province thus an- 
nexed to his crown by the genius and devotion of a 
guerrilla chief, and his handful of gallant followers, was 
visited in December by Victor Emmanuel, who was 
everywhere received with transports of rapturous loyalty. 

We have omitted to state that when the Neapolitans 
evacuated Sicily they retained, by convention, the citadel 
of Messina. Now that the island was a province of an 
independent kingdom, this badge of its past servitude 
could no longer be endured, and the Italian forces,* 
under General Cialdini, invested it on the 28th of 

* The kingdom of Italy had been proclaimed two days previously, February 20, 18G1. 



58 



THE DISASTER AT ASPROMONTE. 



February 1861. Blockaded by land and sea, resistance 
was hopeless, and on the 13th of March it surrendered. 
Some disturbances were still excited by predatory bands 
of reactionists, who committed many ravages in the 
interior; but in March 1862, the last Bourbon fortress 
in Sicily, Civaletta del Tronto, was captured by the 
king's troops, and the pacification of the island finally 
ensued. 

A few months later, Garibaldi once more made his 
appearance in Sicily, but not as Deliverer or Conqueror. 
Fired by his glorious dream of a united Italy, with 
Home as its capital, he landed at Marsala, and sum- 
moned its young men to his flag to aid him in his 
crusade against France and the Papacy, his watchword 
being — " Rome, or Death ! " The Italian government, 
engaged in a difficult work of organization, and unwilling 
to provoke the hostility of the French Emperor, were 
compelled to disown his proceedings, and stigmatize 
them as rebellious. When he entered Catania, they pro- 
claimed Sicily to be in a state of siege, and appointed 
General Cialdini its military ruler. Garibaldi embarked 
at Catania on the 25th of August, landed in Calabria, 
and proceeded towards the sad calamity of Aspromonte — 
equally to be regretted in the interest of the Italian 
kingdom and the patriot himself ; while Sicily was easily 
pacified, all popular commotion promptly suppressed, and 
the state of siege abolished in the month of October. 



A CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 



59 



The islanct has since remained tranquil and contented 
under the rule of Victor Emmanuel ; its prosperity con- 
tinually increasing — its commerce rapidly developing — 
and the condition of its inhabitants evincing a gradual 
improvement. 



RULERS OF SICILY. 

A CHKONOLOGICAL TABLE. 



I. 

The Greeks, b.c. 735-212 — 
Syracuse founded, 734-2. 
Agrigentum founded, 5S2. 
Phalaris, tyrant of Agrigentum, slain 
in 549. 

Hieron L, tyrant of Syracuse, 478-467. 
Dionysius the Elder, tyrant of Syracuse, 
406-367. 

Dionysius the Second, expelled by 

Timoleon, 343. 
Timoleon rules, 343-340. 
Agathocles, tyrant of Syracuse, 317-289. 
Hieron II., tyrant of Syracuse, 275-216. 
Hieronymus, last tyrant of Syracuse, 

216-212. 

II. 

The Romans — 
Verres, praetor of Sicily, 73-70. 

III. 

The Vandals, a.d. 440 -4S0. 

IV 

The Goths, 480-535. 

V. 

The Byzantine, or Eastern Empire, 
535-940. 

VI. 

The Saracens, 940-1061. 



VII. 

The Normans — 
Eobert and Roger de Hauteville, 1061- 
1072. 

Roger as count, 1072-1] 01. 
Simon, his eldest son, 1101-1105. 
Roger, second son of Count Roger, King 

of Sicily, 1105-1154. 
William I., " the Bad," his second son, 

1154-1166. 
William II., " the Good," 1166-1189. 
Tancred, natural son of Roger, eldest 

son of King Roger, 1189-1194. 
William III., second son of Tancred, 

1194. 

VIII. 

The Germans — ■ 
Emperor Henry VI., 1194-1197. 
Emperor Frederick II., 1197-1250. 
Conrad, his second son, 1250-1254. 
Conradine, his only son, 1254-1268. 

IX. 

House of Anjou — 
Charles I., Count of Provence, created 
King of Naples and Sicily by Papal 
bull, 1266-1282. 

X. 

House of Aragon — 
Peter III. of Aragon, and I. of Sicily, 
1282-1285. 



CO THE SICILIAN 

James, "the Just," second son of Peter, 
1285-1296. 

Frederic II. , third son of Peter, elected 

king, 1296-1337. 
Peter II., 1337-1342. 
Louis, eldest son of Peter, 1342-1355. 
Frederic III., "the Simple," 1355-1377. 
Mary, his daughter, 1377-1385. 
Mary and her husband, Martin I., 1385- 

1402. 

Martin I., 1402-1409. 

Martin II., 1409-1412. 

Ferdinand I., "the Just," 1412-1416. 

Alfonzo V., "the Magnanimous," King 

of Aragon, Naples, and Sicily, 1416- 

1442. 

[Sicily was now governed by Viceroys.] 

Alfonzo I., "the Magnanimous," King 
of Naples and Sicily, 1442-1458. 

John II., his younger brother, King of 
Aragon and Sicily, 1458-1479. 

Ferdinand II., "the Catholic" (Ferdi- 
nand V., of Aragon), 1479-1505. 
[Sicily henceforth governed by Viceroys.] 

XI. 

The Spanish Kings — 

Ferdinand, " the Catholic," acquired 
Naples in 1501, and reigned as King 
of Spain, Naples, and Sicily, till 1515. 

Joanna, " the Mad," 1515, 1516. 

Charles V, 1516-1554. 



SOVEREIGN'S. 

Philip II., 1554-1598. 
Philip III., 1598-1621 
Philip IV, 1621-1665. 
Charles II., 1665-1700. 
Philip V, 1700-1713. 

XII. 

House of Savoy — 
Vittorio Amadeo, Duke of Savoy and 
King of Sicily, 1713-1720. 

XIII. 

House op Austria— 
Charles VI., Emperor of Germany, 
1720-1733. 

XIV. 

The Bourbons — 
Charles III., King of Naples and Sicily, 

1734-1759. 
Ferdinand IV, his third son, 1759-1825. 
[Joseph Bonaparte, 1806-1808. 
Joachim Murat, 1808-1815.] 
Francis I., 1825-1830. 
Ferdinand II., 1830-1859. 

[Sicily governed from 1806 by Lord- 
Lieutenants.] 
Francis II., 1859-1862. 

XV. 

King op Italy — 
Victor Emmanuel, 1862. 



A TABLE OF FIGURES. 



61 



POPULATION OF SIOILT. 

According to the Census of January 1, 1862. 



Cattanisetta ■ 



Catania . 



Girgenti 



Messina . 



Noto. 



Palermo.. . . 



Trapani . . 



Sub-Prefectures. 



Cattanisetta. 

Piazza. 

Terranova. 

Aci Reale. 

Catania. 

Cattagirone. 

Nicosia. 

Bevina. 

Girgenti. 

Sciacca. 

Castroreale. 

Messina. 

Mistretta. 

Patti. 

Modica. 

Noto. 

Siracusa. 

Cefala. 

Corleone. 

Palermo. 

Termini. 

Aleamo. 

Mazara. 

Trapani. 



90,135 
83,804 
49,239 

104,937 

174,788 
90,278 
80,457 
53,217 

160,824 
49,837 
83,008 

186,788 
45,290 
79,675 

126,043 
56,811 
76,559 
76,734 
56,611 

338,479 

113,105 
56,571 
66,463 
91,947 

Total.. 



Population of 
Prefectures. 



223,178 



450,460 



263,880 



394,761 



259,613 



584,929 



214,981 



CHAPTER I. 



DEPARTURE FROM LONDON — FROM PARIS TO LYONS — DOWN THE RHONE THE 

SCENERY AND CLIMATE OP PROVENCE — MARSEILLES VOYAGE TO CORSICA 

AJACCIO AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS LEGHORN — A PEEP AT PISA THE CAMPO SANTO 

■ — TERRIBLE HAILSTORM — CATHEDRAL OP PISA — FLORENCE — ITS CATHEDRAL, 
CAMPANILE, AND BAPTISTERY THE DUCAL PALACE THE STREETS AND GAL- 
LERIES OF FLORENCE — THE MEDICEAN VENUS ENVIRONS OF FLORENCE VIEW 

FROM FIESOLE — ITALIAN LANDSCAPES. 

*wTMHE road from London to Naples is so beaten, and 
^PIlL the descriptions of it so endless, that the only 
jS|i| apology for saying another syllable upon the 
IMfX subject, is to be found in the general wish of 
those who read books of travel to begin at the beginning; 
and starting off with the writer who has engaged to de- 
scribe a particular country, to learn something — however 
little — of his adventures on the way. Upon this prin- 
ciple alone a few pages of wayside gossip are inserted, 
not with the least idea of saying anything original on a 
subject which has employed so many able pens. Who 
can hope to match the vivid, passionate, and playful 
descriptions of Beckford — to rival the critical acumen of 
Forsyth and Bell — or to add any fresh stock of informa- 
tion to the completeness of Murray's Hand-Book? Time 



RAILWAY TRAVELLING. 



G3 



was when the tourist might have made something out of 
even the road from London to Paris — have expatiated 
on the old rumbling diligence, and its postboy with 
jack-boots of fabulous dimensions, with other humours 
and inconveniences of the way — but in these days of 
railroads and submarine telegraphs, there is no excuse for 
lingering a moment to describe what is familiar to every- 
body. And with a full appreciation of the value of rail- 
roads, not only in social and economical respects, but 
also to the traveller, in abridging vast spaces of com- 
paratively uninteresting country, and planting him, with 
a vast saving of time and trouble, at the very spot he 
desires to visit, it is certain that they are sad levellers 
of impressions, and make all countries look very much 
alike. You pass no longer, as formerly, through the 
town and villages, by the side of old churches and 
country seats, — the rail is always in the fore-ground, 
and the refreshment room the prominent object of 
interest. People learn to care less for the scenery, and 
more for the novel or newspaper, with which the flying 
hours are whiled away ; and thus it happens that one 
often passes through the entire length of a country with 
the faintest possible impressions of what it really 
contains. 

If there is, however, any tract that one could reason- 
ably be willing to pass over blindfold, it is certainly the 
dull monotonous road from Paris to Chalons-sur-Saone. 



64 



DOWN THE SAONE. 



No country perhaps displays less of rural beauty than 
this portion of what is so sadly miscalled "La belle 
France." Eternal avenues of formal poplars, and bald- 
looking hills covered with dwarfish vines, are repeated 
for hundreds of miles, till the eye is perfectly wearied. 
To be sure, those unpicturesque vineyards of Burgundy 
produce some of the finest wine in the world ; and it used 
to be something to stop and dine at Tonnerre, and drink 
of the same generous liquor that so fascinated Edward 
the Third and his barons while engaged in ravaging the 
plains of France, that they halted with the whole army 
in order to enjoy the wines. 

Leaving Paris therefore by the express train at night, 
we arrived at five next morning at Chalons-sur-Saone, and 
immediately went on board the steamer which descends 
the river to Lyons. Had the vessel proved clean or 
comfortable, this part of the route would have been very 
enjoyable — the banks of the river being, though for the 
most part level, very rich, and ranges of distant hills 
giving at times beauty and interest to the prospect: but 
the French are sadly behind in river navigation ; the 
boats are. nasty and inconvenient, and so encumbered 
with baggage that there is hardly standing-room on 
deck. They have the redeeming merit, however, of 
being very fast ; so that, aided by a powerful current, 
before noon we were approaching Lyons between bold 
and lofty hills, hung with woods and covered with the 



BANKS OF THE RHONE. 



G7 



villas of the wealthier inhabitants, to which succeeded the 
quays of the city itself — lined by lofty piles of sub- 
stantial but gloomy-looking houses. The position of 
Lyons at the junction of the Rhone and Saone is very 
striking, and that portion of the city intervening between 
the two rivers is very airy and handsome ; but it was 
not our intention to delay here, and as soon as the 
vessel was moored to the quay, and our baggage extracted 
from the fangs of the Octroi, we forthwith transferred it 
to another steamer on the Rhone, and began to descend 
that river with a rapidity even greater than we had done 
the Saone. 

The turbid current is so impetuous, and the shoals so 

numerous and shifting, that the steering of the steamer 

requires a practised eye and ready hand in the pilot. Old 

mouldering towns and villages, ruined castles perched 

upon toppling crags, succeeded each other with the 

rapidity of a moving diorama. The banks are as bold 

as those of the Rhine, but want the woody clothing and 

the picturesque outline which render the latter unrivalled 

in river scenery. The rocks that border the stream are 

at the first glance repulsive and barren, but on closer 

scrutiny they appear terraced and cultivated with dwarf 

vines, which produce the choicest and most costly 

vintages of the south — Coti Rotie, Hermitage, and 

Chablis. No better comment upon the common proverb 

of " Never trust to appearances," was ever known, than 
I212) * 6 



CG 



PROVENCE AND POETEY. 



in the case of these ugly sunburnt mountains. A mag- 
nificent view of the distant Alps, extending for many a 
league their bold serrated outline and fields of everlast- 
ing snow along the distant horizon, gives interest and 
grandeur to the scenery. 

Before dusk we reached Valence, and finding on the 
quay a diligence on the point of starting for Avignon, 
jumped into it, and in ten minutes were rattling out of 
the town. The climate had become quite that of the 
Mediterranean — the atmosphere was soft and balmy; the 
fig, the almond, and the oleander appeared in the gardens. 
At five we saw the towers of Avignon ; and before the 
first train started for Marseilles had time to breakfast 
and walk up the hill above the ancient palace of the 
Popes, which commands one of the very finest views in 
France, comprising the city with its machicolated walls 
and towers and ruined bridge ; with the broad luxuriant 
valley, bounded by the distant mountains of Vaucluse, 
through which the branches of the Rhone meander like 
veins of silver upon a carpet of green velvet. 

Here we are in the heart of old Provence, once the 
seat of romance and poetry ; we breathe the warm air 
of the south ; the people too are quite another race, with 
olive complexions and coal-black eyes ; indolent and 
listless, but passionate and revengeful when excited; and 
rarely does the traveller pass through Avignon without 
some noisy threatening dispute. At seven we were 



MARSEILLES IN SIGHT. 



<57 




— _ ^ i 

VAUCLUSE. 



conveyed to the station ; and flying rapidly, along, 
caught picturesque but momentary glimpses of the 
Roman remains, and the mediaeval towers of Aries and 
Beaucaire, till an inlet of the blue Mediterranean came 
in sight. Shortly after, passing a very long tunnel cut 
through some rocks, Marseilles, and its pretty white 
villas, in a quivering blaze of resplendent sunshine and 
tremendous heat, with the white sails of ships and 



63 



FRENCH FORTIFICATIONS. 



steamers arriving or departing, the romantic rocks rising 
out of the sea, formed a splendid finale to our land 
journey — performed, by the way, with a speed of which 
a lover of fast travelling might have boasted, having 
been little over fifty hours in coming from Paris to 
Marseilles. This period, however, has been considerably 
reduced since the completion of the railway, and the 
traveller may now reach the shores of the Mediterranean 
in between two and three days from London. 

With all my haste I found that I had missed the 
French steamer by about three hours, and that the next 
would not leave for four or five days. The idea of 
spending so much time in Marseilles was insupportable, 
and as it happened that a mail boat left next day for 
Corsica and Leghorn, I determined to proceed that way 
to Italy. 

One thing forcibly struck me on leaving this port ; 
and at the present time, when our national defences are 
still the subject of anxious discussion, it may not be 
amiss to mention it. The commerce of Marseilles, though 
considerable and increasing, is a mere nothing to that of 
Liverpool ; yet, while tremendous forts and batteries — 
enough to blow any invading force out of the water — 
defend the entrance to the French harbour, what is there 
to protect the mouth of the Mersey and the stupendous 
docks and shipping of Liverpool, should any enemy be 
disposed to attempt a sudden descent upon our coasts ? 



A NOBLE HARBOUR. 69 

At noon we steamed out of Marseilles, and scarcely 
had its forts and villas receded from view than we 




HARBOUR OF MARSEILLES. 

entered a pass between an island and the mainland, 
formed by tremendous limestone rocks, of almost dazzling 
whiteness, dropping into the deep blue sea below, and 
cutting into the equally blue sky above, and apparently 
quite destitute of verdure, till a narrower scrutiny dis- 
closed a flock of adventurous goats browsing on the 
scanty grass growing in the interstices of the crags. 



TO 



SHORES OF CORSICA. 



Here we came to a dead pause, in consequence of some 
trifling accident to the machinery, which could not be 
set right in less than two hours. Fortunately it was 
near the hour of dinner, which helped to fill up what 
would otherwise have been a very unpleasant delay. 
Resuming our course, we ran along the beautiful coast of 
Provence, past La Ciotat and Toulon, till with the sunset 
we entered the delicious straits of Hyeres, a perfect 
Elysium of orange-groves and verdure, sheltered from 
the north by lofty mountains, and open on the south to 
the gentle breezes of the Mediterranean. 

Here we left these poetic shores, and struck across the 
open sea to Corsica. 

Next morning we were off the island, which, bold and 
mountainous in character, has but little beauty. Here 
and there was an old watch-tower on a solitary hill, and 
a little cove for a few primitive-looking fishing-boats. 
At length Ajaccio came in sight, and at a distance made 
rather a handsome appearance ; but, as in the case of so 
many little Italian towns, a nearer acquaintance dis- 
closed dilapidation, filth, and misery. The entrance of 
the harbour is very narrow and difficult, and as the boat 
only comes once a-week, a great crowd were assembled 
on the pier-head, to see the vessel warp in and then turn 
round again with her head to sea, and also to observe 
what native passengers came on shore. The little har- 
bour is surrounded by irregular half-ruinous edifices, and 



napoleon's birth-place. 



71 



overhung by a fort, below which is a singular mass of 
rocks rising sheer out of the water, the favourite resort 
of a troop of youthful fishers, who clamber, naked as they 
are, by footholes and crannies to the top, and posing 
themselves upon the extremest brink of an overhanging 
precipice, plunge headlong into the waves below, where 
they delight to dabble about for hours. The contempla- 
tion of these aquatic gambols was the only relief to the 
tediousness of our stoppage in the harbour of Ajaccio. 
Some few, getting desperate with ennui, went ashore, 
but speedily returned without having discovered the 
slightest object of interest. Yet this wretched town 
will enjoy an immortality of fame ; for here, on August 
15, 1769, during the struggle of the Corsicans against 
the French, and while his mother, in a state of restless 
anxiety, was flying from town to town to avoid falling 
into the hands of the enemy, was born Napoleon Bona- 
parte, and on the island he remained until his tenth 
year, when his removal to the military school at Brienne 
proved the starting-point of a career unparalleled in 
modern history. 

Before noon we were again at sea, steering direct for 
the coast of Italy, and soon beheld the long range of 
purple Apennines, with the lighthouse of Leghorn. 
Before sunset we were alongside the pier, amidst a crowd 
of shipping. We ascertained that the French steamer 
lor Naples would not pass for two days, a delay 



72 



WONDERS OF PISA. 



which would enable us to get a glance at Pisa and 
Florence. 

Except that you are on Italian soil, and that every- 
thing around is Italian, there is but little in Leghorn to 
delay a traveller. It is Marseilles on a smaller scale — 
a mere sea-port town, where everything is merely com- 
mercial. Ships of all nations are to be seen in its har- 
bour, and natives of all countries in its streets, but in 
regard to art or nature its attractions are excessively 
meagre; and after breakfast we repaired to the railway, 
and taking our places, were rapidly whirled over the 
level plain extending from Leghorn to Pisa. 

After a walk through the dull sleepy streets of the 
last-mentioned city, we came suddenly upon an extensive 
grass-grown square, quiet and unfrequented as a cathedral 
close in England, in the midst of which stood that famous 
group of buildings familiar to every one by endless en- 
gravings — the Leaning Tower, Cathedral, Baptistery, 
and Campo Santo. Perhaps the world contains nothing 
more singular to the northern eye : "In short, I have 
dreamed of such buildings," says Beckford, "but little 
thought that they existed." Nothing here of the imposing 
gloomy grandeur and dark gray masonry of our Gothic 
cathedrals, but a grave elegance and simplicity of form, 
and beauty of colour arising from the employment of 
different coloured marbles, relieved by the deep blue of 
an Italian sky. The mosque-like domes give an exotic 



THE LEANING TOWER. 



75 



and oriental cast, which adds to the singular charm which 
they exercise over an imaginative mind. Most travellers 
have pronounced these edifices to be in bad taste ; but 
Mr. Ruskin has lately contrived to discover profound 
beauties where every one else beheld nothing but a 
quaint variety of deformity. 

""■Hi 




LEANING TOAVEIl AT PISA. 



We first ascended the Leaning Tower, from the shelv- 
ing top of which we enjoyed a curious bird's-eye view 
over this famous little republic, taking in the whole 



76 



THE CAMPO SANTO. 



circuit of the walls, about as extensive as those of 
Avignon, and now enclosing considerable spaces of 
gardens. Within this narrow area how much of patriotism 
and of faction were once girdled in the days of Pisa's 
pride and prosperity ? Beyond the walls, a rich flat 
extends on one side to the sea, and on the other to the 
purple Apennines, which form the boundary of this 
beautiful landscape. 

Our steps were next directed to the Campo Santo. It 
is an immense oblong cloister, surrounding a court filled 
with earth from the Holy Land, brought over during the 
period of the Crusades, and now thickly covered with a 
luxuriant growth of vegetation. The open windows 
facing this court, of Italian Gothic, are tall and slender 
in proportion, and of white marble. The walls are 
covered with antique frescoes by the early Florentine 
artists, quaint and singular alike in design and colouring, 
and carry us back completely to the age in which they 
were executed. To complete the strangeness of the 
place, rows of antique sarcophagi are ranged along the 
walls, while the pavement is composed of monumental 
inscriptions and effigies. From the open arcades you 
see the top of the Cathedral and Leaning Tower, forming 
altogether the most singular group of objects imaginable. 
We paced round and round the court, sometimes pausing 
to admire that fertility of imagination in the old painters, 
which enabled them to embody with appalling force and 



A TERRIBLE HAIL-STORM. 



77 



disgusting minuteness so many horrible images of death, 
hell, and judgment, and all the terrors of mediseval theo- 
logy; at others admiring the workmanship of some 
marble sarcophagus, or poring over the stone pavement 
which covers the ashes of the illustrious dead. 

We were so fully absorbed by the examination of these 
objects, that we had not observed the gradual darkening 
of the sky ; nor until a deep gloom had settled over the 
cloister, with oppressive heat and portentous unnatural 
stillness, was our attention aroused. The heavens were 
quite black and surcharged with awful masses of lurid 
clouds, the wind moaned through the cloister and blew 
in fierce gusts and eddies, wildly whirling the dust about 
the roof, while the low murmur of distant thunder 
heralded a storm of unusual severity. Presently a 
rattling noise was heard over our heads, as though a 
portion of the masonry had been blown down upon the 
leads, and some large white masses danced over into the 
open court, and rebounded like tennis balls, being, as we 
supposed, the stray fragments of stone work from the wall 
above. Our mistake, however, was but momentary, for 
a crashing storm of hail-stones instantaneously burst upon 
the roof of the cloister, rattling among the wild herbage 
that filled the court, and rolling along the open arches 
and the paved floor with a noise and clatter that raised 
us in a moment into a state of the wildest excitement. 
Out we at once rushed into the court, with loud exclama- 



78 



CATHEDRAL OF PISA. 



tions, heedless of the pelting of the hail, and picked up 
the stones, which seemed to get bigger every moment, 
ranging from the size of a walnut almost to that of an 
egg. The sight, indeed, was sublime in such a spot ; 
the fury of the storm seemed to shake the edifice, and 
the torrents of hail threatened to dash in the slender 
Gothic arches and delicate tracery ; the thunder and 
lightning were fearful, and the exposed side of the cloister 
was inundated with a perfect deluge of rain. This con- 
tinued for more than half an hour, when the sky partially 
cleared, and leaving our place of shelter we made a rush 
across the square and got into the cathedral. There we 
found every pane of glass that had not been secured with 
an external grating dashed in, and the whole pavement 
in a glitter with the fallen fragments ; but this proved 
happily to be the extent of the mischief. 

These hail-storms are common enough in Southern 
Europe, and are often much more considerable than the 
one we witnessed. Indeed, if we are to believe Ben- 
venuto Cellini — whose tendency to exaggeration is, how- 
ever, inveterate — they sometimes cause a fearful destruc- 
tion of life as well as of property. 

The interior of the Cathedral of Pisa, though in a 
totally different style to our own, is equally solemn and 
imposing. The porphyry pillars, the black and white 
marbles with which the arches and walls are inlaid, the 
golden roof and mosaic pavement, combine to produce a 



SOUVENIR OF LORD BYRON. 



70 



most harmonious and impressive effect, at once chaste 
and gorgeous, convincing the spectator how greatly the 
effect of architecture is heightened by the judicious 
employment of colour. After admiring, on the exterior 
of the cathedral, the bronze doors, for which the Pisan 
artificers were so famous that, as we shall hereafter see, 
their services were called into requisition to decorate the 
Norman cathedrals in Sicily, we completed our survey 
of this most interesting and remarkable group of build- 
ings by visiting the Baptistery, which contains a very 
beautiful font, a masterpiece of sculpture for the period 
in which it was wrought. 

We glanced, on our way back, at the Lung' Arno, and 
the palace occupied by Lord Byron, and after refreshing 
ourselves at a cafe, proceeded by railroad to Florence, the 
new capital of the Italian kingdom. The country is rich 
and level, and fields of maize are enclosed with mulberry- 
trees, from one of which to another the vine with its 
rich clusters is gracefully festooned, a sight which, charm- 
ing as it is for a while, at last becomes monotonous and 
tiresome. Traces of the storm were apparent in deluged 
fields and damaged corn, but its range had evidently 
been very partial, and as we drew near to Florence the 
setting sun shone forth from among the clouds with in- 
tense vividness of colour through the purified ether upon 
the domes and towers of the beautiful city. 

The few hours allotted to us in the capital, we resolved 



80 



GIOTTO' S MASTERPIECE. 



to divide between the city with its monuments, and the 
beauty of the surrounding country. From our comfort- 
able quarters at the Hotel York, it was but a few steps 
to the Cathedral, Baptistery, and especially the Campanile 
of Giotto, about which so much has been written in a 
strain of rather overwrought enthusiasm by Mr. Ruskin. 
Accordingly, seated on the stone seat whence it is tradi- 
tionally believed that Michael Angelo used to contemplate 
the Cathedral, we pored a good half-hour over what our 
famous architectural critic pronounces to be the very per- 
fection of art, but in spite of every disposition to become 
a convert to his views, we could not feel that the chef 
cVceuvre of Giotto possessed the grandeur of some of our 
northern bell-towers, but with much unquestionable 
beauty of detail, with its superabundant elaboration and 
inlaid work, had somewhat too much the appearance of 
a huge porcelain toy. We absolutely dread to pronounce 
this fearful heresy in the face of such an authority, but 
such at all events was the idea gathered upon the spot, 
and we have since heard others make the same observa- 
tion. Neither did the famous Cathedral, with its vast 
plain sides of inlaid marble, and the baldness and heavy 
gloom of the interior, make an impression at all answer- 
able to its enormous scale and celebrity, although the 
dome no doubt is a wonderful effort of constructive skill, 
and at a distance, like the Campanile, a splendid orna- 
ment to the city. 



BENVENUTO CELLINI. 



S3 



But the bronze gates of the Baptistery — these indeed 
merit the enthusiastic encomium of Michael Angelo, that 
they were worthy to be the gates of Paradise. The 
fertility of fancy and the skill of execution displayed in 
the endless combinations of fruit, flowers, birds, and 
figures, are certainly little less than miraculous. One 
may pore over them for half a day, and yet innumerable 
beauties escape observation. 

Thence we went to the great square, where the sombre 
Palace, with its overhanging battlements and lofty tower, 
in the style of medi8eval architecture peculiar to Florence, 
produces a sternly impressive effect, bringing back the 
period of intestine troubles and revolutions amidst which 
it was reared. The three round and graceful arches of 
the Podesta stand just below, under which are the bronze 
Perseus of Cellini, and other famous sculptures ; while 
the colossal works of his rival Baccio Bandinelli adorn 
the facade of the Palace. Besides their beauty, these 
celebrated works of art derive a double interest from the 
notices of them in the Life of Benvenuto Cellini, in which, 
himself and his own immeasurable vanity ever in the 
foreground, he gives us so lively a picture of the state of 
society in Florence, and of his own little world of famous 
artists in particular, with all its rivalries, its railings, its 
quarrels, and its triumphs. 

To walk the narrow and picturesque streets of Flor- 
ence, especially on moonlight nights, is of itself a great 



84 



AN IMMORTAL STATUE. 



enjoyment ; it is to see history embodied in its char- 
acteristic monuments. The immense palaces of the prin- 
cipal merchant-princes of the Medicean age, with their 
prison-like basements, pierced only by a single round- 
headed portal and a few grated windows, the iron rings 
through which to sling rich silks from the Orient ; the 
elegant story above, containing the rooms of state, and 
the grand and ponderous cornices that overhang them, 
all tell of the times when they were reared, when amidst 
domestic feuds each house was at once a fortress, a ware- 
house, and a palace ; and amidst these troublous ele- 
ments the arts, newly revived, grew up to such splendid 
perfection by the fostering care of the Medici. 

Of the galleries of Florence — a world in themselves — • 
it would be folly to do more than say that we saw them, 
and carried away a lasting impression of the original of 
those chefs d'ceuvre of sculpture and painting, of which 
the untravelled reader may form some idea from the 
numerous casts and copies dispersed over Europe. We 
repaired to the famous chamber called the Tribune, to 
gaze upon " the statue that enchants the world," the 
famous Medicean Venus. We drank in the indescribable 
intoxication of a beauty in which there is nothing unre- 
fined or gross; and in spite of the criticism of one of our 
party, who contended that the head was too small and 
the fingers too taper, we continued to gaze, and then 
return again with ever-increasing fascination. Thus 



ENVIRONS OF FLORENCE. 



85 



passed away the few hours of a morning into which were 
crowded more impressions of the greatness and variety of 
human genius than are sometimes gathered into a whole 
lifetime of the prosaic or the dull. Perfectly fatigued 
with admiration, we at length returned to the hotel, and 
after descending to the vulgar, but necessary, business of 
eating a very good dinner to repair the waste of the 
forenoon (and those of the Hotel York are by no means 
to be despised), we ordered a carriage to drive out as far 
as the hill of Fiesole. 

The environs of Florence have been celebrated for their 
beauty. The city, with its group of domes and towers, 
stands in the broad valley of the Arno (in itself an in- 
significant muddy stream), bounded on either side by 
lofty romantic mountains. On a bold spur of one of 
these, forming part of the range of the Apennines, and 
about four miles from the city, stands Fiesole, an old city 
of Etruscan origin, and with its lofty campanile forming 
a conspicuous object in the landscape for many miles 
around. To this commanding position we now ascended 
by an excellent road, rising gradually as it neared the 
hills, and climbing to the steep crag on which the town 
stands by a succession of winding zigzags. 

With the vivid recollection of the enjoyment of such 
a drive as this, one regrets how poor are words to convey 
even the least idea of it. Suffice it to say, that as we 
lose above the level of the city, the whole valley lay 



86 



MOUNTAIN SCENERY. 



outspread for miles beneath our eyes. Fertile as the 
richest district in England, it is perfectly unlike it in 
appearance, and yet no less beautiful ; many who have 
not enjoyed the view from the Malvern or Cotswold hills, 
may, indeed, prefer it. The surface is one level and 
tufted green, like a carpet of velvet pile, interwoven of 
the bright fresh green of the corn and vine, the dark rich 
gray of the olive, and the black funereal cone of the 
cypress. White farm-houses and towers beautifully re- 
lieve this verdant level, and the windings of the Arno 
shine like silver in the distance. 

But then the Apennines — I know not where there is 
anything in England to which they can be likened. 
Rising gradually and softly from the plain, they tower 
up in forms exquisitely graceful and undulating to a 
height of several thousand feet. Their summits are bare 
and brown, and their sides intersected with wild, 
romantic, solitary glens ; but all the lower slopes are 
perfectly gemmed with villas and country-houses amidst 
their dark groves of C} 7 press, olive, and fig, so numerous 
that, as the Florentine writers have boasted, if gathered 
together, they would far outnumber the buildings of the 
chVv itself. 

At length, from the height of Fiesole, we commanded 
this prospect in its widest extent and most admirable com- 
bination. Florence and the Val d'Arno were at our feet : 
the very same landscape upon which our Milton, with a 



A MEMORY OF MILTON. 



87 



vivid recollection of its unequalled beauty, is said to have 
desired that his eyes might first open, should he be 
privileged to recover from his blindness. On the sum- 
mit of a hill is an old convent, with a garden full of 
cypress-trees, and in front of this we reposed to see the 
sun set in a blaze of glory over fan- Florence and its thou- 
sand villas, clothing the Apennines with a deeper purple, 
and touching the edges of the dark funereal cypresses 
with an intensely golden lustre. Had our great poet's 
wish been realized, it is at such a moment that he would 
have chosen to enjoy this spectacle— 

"• At evening, on the top of Fiesole." 

Twilight came on, and Dian's crescent hung over the 
towers of the city as we drove back between villas and 
gardens redolent with delicious perfume. A moonlight 
stroll along the Arno and about the city closed a day 
in which art and nature seemed to have striven which 
could the most enchant us. 

After all, it must be admitted that however splendid 
and poetical may be the general combinations of Italian 
landscape in detail, it is not half so enjoyable as that of 
our own beautiful country. You may stand upon a 
height like Fiesole and look over what appears to be an 
earthly paradise ; but if you desire to cultivate a closer 
acquaintance with it. you speedily find yourself among 
a labyrinth of stony, dusty lanes, with high walls on 



88 



LEIGH HUNT UPON ITALY. 



either side, which cut off all view of the surrounding 
objects ; or if you contrive to get clear of these obstacles, 
the surface of the country itself disappoints you. There 
are few trees larger than a dumpy olive, none of the 
luxurious massiveness and refreshing shadow of oak and 
elm ; and after the first novelty is over, you get weary 
at last of eternal avenues of vineyards and formal rows 
of cypresses. The farm-houses are dirty, dreary places, 
devoid of that neatness and rural taste which give so 
great a charm even to an unpicturesque district in 
England. The rivers in central and southern Italy are 
mere scanty streams of yellow turbid water, rolling over 
a wide bed of sun-bleached stones, and in the hot season 
are often nearly dry. The opinion of Leigh Hunt may 
be here quoted : " There are no meadows, no proper 
green lanes (at least I saw none), no paths leading over 
field and stile, no hay-fields in June, nothing of that 
luxurious combination of green and russet, of grass, wild- 
flowers and woods, over which a lover of nature can 
stroll for hours with a foot as fresh as the stag's, un- 
vexed with chalk, dust, and an eternal public path, and 
able to lie down if he will and sleep in clover. ... An 
Italian may prefer his own country after the same 
fashion, and he is right. I knew a young English- 
woman who, having grown up in Tuscany, thought the 
landscapes of her native country insipid ; and could 
not imagine how people could live without walks in 



A DUSTY LAND. 



89 



vineyards. To me Italy has a certain hard taste in the 
mouth. Its mountains are too bare, its outlines are too 
sharp, its lanes too stony, its voices too loud, its long 
summer too dusty. I longed to bathe myself in the 
grassy balm of my native fields." 



CHAPTER II. 



A OOASTINO VOYAGE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN — COAST OF THE MAJREMMA — CIVITA 
VECCHIA — THE BAY OP NAPLES— CITY OF NAPLES — ITS POPULACE — A VISIT TO 
VESUVIUS— ASCENT OF THE MOUNTAIN — THE CRATER — PROSPECT FROM THE 
SUMMIT — JOURNEY TO POMPEII — CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CITY OF THE DEAD 
— THE FORUM — THE AMPHITHEATRE — HERCULANEUM — EVENING AT NAPLES. 



/^fjjPERE it not for the never-ending annoyances 



voyage is so contrived that you generally arrive at 
some port in the morning and leave it in the evening, 
and every day introduces you to fresh objects of interest. 
You see the sun rise and set, and are rarely long out of 
sight of land, and in the course of the voyage run along 
some of the most beautiful and memorable shores in the 
world. Acid to this, excellent fare and accommodation, 
and generally agreeable society, and it will be readily 
conceived that in a fine summer few things can be 
pleasanter than a coasting voyage in the Mediterranean. 
The coast of Maremma from Leghorn to Civita Vecchia 




and loss of time entailed upon the traveller 
by the passport system, nothing could be 
more delightful than an easy progress over 
the sunny azure of the Mediterranean. The 



THE BEAUTIFUL CITY. 



91 



is however the dullest in all Italy, and one is not soriy 
to pass it in the night. Elba, the prison, as Ajaccio was 
the birth-place, of Napoleon, is the only object of interest 
on the way. Civita Vecchia has a dull and uninviting 
appearance as we approach, which is rather increased 
than diminished when the vessel casts anchor in the port 
itself, which is, however, somewhat enlivened by the 
constant arrival and departure of the steamers. After 
the first half-hour every minute spent in Civita is a pure 
weariness, and whether on shore or on board, it is equally 
impossible to stave off ennui. The painter alone is an 
exception, who, in the antique buildings and light 
houses of the port, may obtain materials for a very 
picturesque and Claude-like composition. Here pas- 
sengers for Rome disembark. 

Joyfully did we hear the order to weigh anchor at 
sunset, and steam out of the harbour for Naples. We 
passed Ostia, formerly the port of Rome, in the dusk ; 
and the Alban Mount, distant Campagna, and the dome 
of St. Peter's, objects which are visible by day, were 
lost to us in the haze of night. After passing the Cir- 
casan promontory, which stands out romantically into 
the sea, the dawn began to break, and we approached 
the Bay of Naples. 

Every one who has travelled in Italy must have felt 
that around the environs of this favoured city there 
hovers a certain indescribable and unearthly beauty — 



92 



A GLORIOUS LANDSCAPE. 



" An ampler ether — a diviner air, 
And fields invested with purpureal gleams : " 

well answering to the Neapolitan description — "un 
pezzo di cielo caduto in terra," — "a fragment of heaven 
dropped upon the earth." It was luxury to lean over 
the bow of the vessel, and enjoy in silence the incompar- 
able azure of the sea and sky, the looming up of the 
distant islands, clothed in the softest purple, and of the 
headland of Misenum with its lonely tower, which marks 
the entrance of the bay. As the light veil of mist that 
hangs over the water is dissipated, and the rising sun 
discloses all the detail of romantic Ischia, its white towns 
rising among groves, and (though far otherwise) looking 
at a distance like the habitations of the blessed ; the 
noble outline of Capri, standing at the entrance of the 
bay like a huge breakwater ; and, as the prospect widens, 
the whole extent of that unrivalled bay, Baiae and 
Pozzuoli on the left, Vesuvius and Sorrento upon the 
right, and in the hollow of the curve the city itself 
reposing on the margin of the water,' — he seems to 
acquire a finer sense of beauty. It is like a new reve- 
lation of the surpassing glory with which Omnipotence 
can clothe the works of creation. 

This immense city is almost divided in half by the 
Strada Toledo, the principal thoroughfare, a long avenue 
running up from the bay, and at one end of which stands 
the Royal Palace. To the north of this street extends 



POPULATION OF NAPLES. 



95 



1 the aristocratic quarter — the resort of pleasure-seekers 
and valetudinarians from every clime, where everything 
breathes of idlesse, amusement, and luxury. In strong 
and painful contrast with this is the southern portion of 
the city — the abode of the lower classes, of which but 
few travellers care to penetrate the recesses. At first 
sight Naples may seem the most fascinating residence 
upon the face of the earth ; but the low aspect of human 
nature displayed by its population — lively, mercurial, 
and good-natured, yet ignorant, superstitious, and fero- 
cious — and the degrading tyranny of the late Govern- 
ment, which fostered the basest qualities as it depressed 
the noblest, still cast a mournful gloom over the scene; 
and to those who cannot shut themselves up in selfish 
luxury and dilettantism, the most exquisite natural 
beauty seems only to render more painful by contrast 
the moral degradation of those who dwell in the midst 
of it. 

The boat left for Palermo on the second day, and as 
time did not admit of our devoting two separate days to 
visit Vesuvius and Pompeii, we resolved to combine the 
two by crossing the mountain and walking the rest of 
the way ; so, laying in a stock of provisions, we hired 
a vehicle to Torre del Greco, at which place we were to 
take donkeys to the foot of the crater. 

Our way lay along the sea-shore, through the noisiest 
quarter of Naples, and of what that is nothing but 



SOUTHERN EXCITEMENT. 



experience can convey an adequate idea. The noise of 
London is caused by the monotonous roar of thousands 
of vehicles incessantly rolling over the pavement ; the 
sound of the human voice seems rarely heard. But here 
it is the very reverse. To hear for the first time the 
confused babble of innumerable voices which arises from 
Naples, you would suppose that it could be caused by 
nothing less than a general insurrection. The most ordi- 
nary transaction is accompanied by an infinity of pas- 
sionate outcries, ludicrous superlatives, and almost 
frenzied gesticulation. The voice is pitched in a high 
shrill note, which the least excitement exalts into a 
downright scream, and the Neapolitan is thrown into a 
state of excitement even upon the most trivial cause. 
Where that is wanting, I have heard them yell for the 
mere pleasure of exercising the lungs. Clamour, in 
short, is to this people a necessary of existence. In this 
climate, moreover, among the poorer classes, half the 
avocations of life are carried on almost or wholly in the 
street, where they work at their respective trades, cook, 
wash, eat, scold, fight, and perform almost all the sug- 
gestions of appetite and the functions of nature in the 
sight of every passenger. Such a burrow of filth as the 
lower quarter of Naples is hardly to be paralleled else- 
where — the fry of its population may be likened to the 
maggots with which a decayed cheese is all in a ferment 
— as nasty, as closely packed, as busy, and as happy. 



DISTANT VIEW OF VESUVIUS. 97 

" With life the streets o'erflow, exuberant 
As is their soil. There, ranged, the gaudy stalls 
Well piled with fruit, and glittering traffic, plant 
Their motley ensigns — Pulcinello calls 
His faithful votaries — Cappucini chant 
Their Lady's hymn — Calabria's bagpipe squalls — 
Monks rant — empirics bawl — in pilgrim weeds 
The bandit tells his plunder with his beads ! " 

For miles on the road to Pompeii, which runs along 
the margin of the bay, it is a crowded suburb. Hun- 
dreds of curricoli, a high-pitched gig, very loosely hung, 
meant to hold two or three persons, but which, like an 
Irish car, accommodates as many as can by any means 
hold on, and as the horse can be persuaded to carry, 
rattle along the paved causeway, amidst a continual 
whirl of dust and babel of tongues, which accompanied 
us all the way to Torre del Greco. 

Here we fell into the hands of the donkey drivers, 
and struck off from the main road, pursuing our way 
towards the summit of the mountain, which, beautiful 
as it is at a distance, now assumed a dreary rugged 
appearance. Its flanks are deeply indented, and covered 
with black ashy-coloured beds of lava, through which 
we picked our toilsome way, until we reached a point 
where it was necessary to dismount and clamber on foot 
to the summit, over a wilderness of huge lava blocks, so 
sharp and jagged that the greatest care was required to 
avoid falling and cutting ourselves. But this last ordeal 
was soon passed, and without any exertion worth naming 

(212) 7 



98 



ASCENT TO THE CRATER. 



we stood upon the brink of the crater. . And truly the 
scene around us was one never to be forgotten ; and if 
it possessed less of the awfully sublime than when the 
mountain is in a state of eruption, we were certainly 
better able to appreciate, undisturbed, its striking con- 
trasts and extraordinary loveliness. 




VESUVIUS. 



The spot we stood on, near the edge of the crater, was 
a perfect mass of yellow sulphur, veined with white, and 
so heated that we could with difficulty keep on the same 



A SCENE OF TERROR. 



99 



spot for more than a few moments ; and to give further 
evidence of its heat, our guide immediately set to work 
and roasted some eggs for us on the ground. From this 
uneasy post upon " the burning marie," the eye plunged 
sheer down into the awful abyss of the crater, a perfect 
circle, its sides scorched and blasted by the action of fire, 
and coloured alternately in black, red, and yellow veins. 
At the very bottom was a large round opening, like the 
entrance to the infernal regions, from which a clear 
flame of the most intense and vivid fire was constantly 
boiling, throwing off enormous clouds of smoke, which 
eddying and boiling round the hollow of the crater, rose 
over its edge in a tall and awful column, which, after 
many convolutions, was at length dissipated in the sky. 
Sometimes, caught by the wind, the sulphurous mass 
was carried near the spot where we stood, threatening 
to half suffocate us, and compelling us to make a hasty 
retreat. From the crater the flank of the mountain we 
had been climbing sunk to the edge of the bay ; and 
looking down it we could trace the lava beds, till lost 
among the rich vineyards and white towns which still 
continue, such is the quickening fertility of the soil, to 
maintain their precarious position along the shore, at the 
foot of the slumbering volcano. 

But if everything about the mountain savours of the 
infernal, the region over which we looked from its 
scorching brow may truly be called " un pezzo de cielo," 



100 



VIEW FROM THE SUMMIT. 



a fragment of paradisaical beauty. The graceful curve 
of the bay, a sheet of soft but intense azure, dotted with 
white sails ; the long winding shore as far as Naples, gay 
with suburbs ; the hills of Pausilipo covered with villas ; 
the distant inlet of Baia3 ; the islands of Ischia and Capri ; 
the bold headlands of Sorrento ; the far-distant sea, 
extending away towards Mola ; — this unequalled com- 
bination of objects, so varied in outline, so exquisite in 
colour, and o'ercanopied by an atmosphere so pure, a 
sky so lucid and transparent, that the lungs seemed to 
expand with delight in breathing it ; — such is the view 
that lay outstretched before us from the summit of 
Vesuvius. 

We had now to descend the mountain upon the side 
facing Pompeii, opposite to that by which we came up, 
and utterly unlike it, being in fact a long and steep 
inclined plane of deep loose volcanic dust, without a 
single block of lava or impediment whatsoever ; so that 
we might have rolled a ball nearly from the top to the 
bottom. By the guide's direction, we therefore adopted 
a suitable style of descent. Driving his heels into the 
sand, and leaning back to preserve his equilibrium, he 
darted forwards or rather downwards, at railroad speed, 
disappearing amidst a cloud of dust, which seemed to 
roll after him down the side of the mountain. A 
moment's hesitation, and we dashed after him in like 
manner, and speedily found that once committed to the 



DESCENT OF THE MOUNTAIN. 



101 



descent, it required the utmost exertion of the muscles, 
like those of an unhappy victim on the tread-mill, or the 
traveller when the bottom of the chaise fell out, and he 
had to run for his life to keep on with unfaltering velo- 
city and increasing momentum to the goal. A single 
pause or hitch in the flying descent, and we should have 
flung off at a tangent, head over heels, performing end- 
less gyrations and summersets, till abruptly pulled up 
by the first obstacle to our headlong career, with the 
breath beaten out of our bodies. 

Tremendous was the excitement of the race. Our 
coat-tails flew out behind ; our hair streamed in the 
wind ; our straw hats, threatening to take flight, were 
wildly grasped by one hand, while with the other we 
controlled our movements as with a rudder ; our legs 
going like the strokes of a piston ; and our lungs in a 
perfect roar of laughter : albeit half-suffocated with the 
dust of our own raising, we happily achieved the descent 
without a single trip or tumble, in a space of time which 
seemed quite ridiculous compared to that which it had 
taken us to climb up. 

The worst pull now remained, in the shape of a noon- 
tide walk to Pompeii through the vineyards and over a 
volcanic soil reverberating the rays of the sun. The heat 
was' intense ; and though suffering from thirst, we had 
no means of obtaining refreshment, and were well-nigh 
exhausted when we espied the lofty mounds of dust, 



102 THE RUINED CITY. 

overgrown with vineyards and foliage, which cover the 
buried city. Shortly afterwards we stretched ourselves 
in the shade of the trees at the entrance of the Street of 
Tombs. . 

Much of the impressiveness of a place like Pompeii is 
often lost by the mode in which it is visited. People 
come in large parties from Naples, furnished with luxu- 
rious luncheons, washed down with Lachrymse Christi and 
Champagne, which somehow they generally prefer to 
imbibe before going over the place; and amidst the hila- 
rious excitement consequent on these indulgencies, they 
see Pompeii indeed, but do not feel the lifeless melancholy 
of the excavated city. I had visited the place before in 
this way, and most unsatisfactorily ; but now there was 
nothing to disturb the powerful impression which when 
seen alone, or almost alone, it invariably leaves upon the 
mind. Coming so recently from the noise and turbulence 
of Naples, the corpse-like stillness of its streets and roof- 
less houses, undisturbed at that moment but by our own 
echoing footsteps, or by the rustle of the lizard across 
the pavement, fell on us with a strange haunting sense 
of dreariness, deepened by the bland soft air, laden with 
perfume, which blew in from the neighbouring moun- 
tains upon the vacant streets. Our guide led us over 
the theatres, up and down the public ways, and into the 
deepest recesses of the baths and private dwellings ; 
through the Forum and its temples, then to the Amphi- 



CITY OF THE DEAD. 



105 



theatre, and lastly to the Street of Tombs and the Villa 
of Diomede, — perhaps the most impressive of the many 
objects of interest with which Pompeii abounds. It 
would be useless here to describe these in detail, what 
every one is more or less familiar with through endless 
publications. The general impressions derived from a 
visit to the Buried City have been graphically recorded 
by the poet Rogers : — 

" Once did I linger there alone till day 
Closed, and at length the calm of twilight came, 
So grateful yet so solemn ! 

All was as still as in the long, long night 
That followed, when the shower of ashes fell, 
When they that sought Pompeii sought in vain ; 
It was not to be found. But now a ray, 
Bright and yet brighter, on the pavement glanced, 
And on the wheel-track worn for centuries, 
And on the stepping-stones from side to side, 
O'er which the maidens, with their water-urns, 
Were wont to trip so lightly. Full and clear, 
The moon was rising, and at once revealed 
The name of every dweller, and his craft ; 
Shining throughout with an unusual lustre, 
And lighting up this City of the Dead. 

Mark, where within, as though the embers lived, 
The ample chimney-vault is dun with smoke. 
There dwelt a miller ; silent and at rest 
His millstones now. In old companionship 
Still do they stand as on the day he went, 
Each ready for its office, — but he comes not. 
And there, hard by (where one in idleness 
Has stopt to scrawl a ship, an armed man ; 
And in a tablet on the wall we read 
Of Shews ere long to be), a sculptor wrought, 



106 



A POET'S DESCRIPTION. 



Nor meanly ; blocks, half-chiselled into life, 

Waiting his call. — Here long, as yet attests 

The trodden floor, an olive-merchant drew 

From many an earthen jar, no more supplied ; 

And here from his a vintner served his guests 

Largely, the stain of his o'erflowing cups 

Fresh on the marble. On the bench, beneath, 

They sate and quaffed, and looked on them that passed, 

Gravely discussing the last news from Eome. 

But lo, engraven on a threshold-stone, 

That word of courtesy so sacred once, 

Hail ! At a master's greeting we may enter, 

And lo, a fairy palace ! everywhere, 

As through the courts and chambers we advance, 

Floors of mosaic, walls of arabesque, 

And columns clustering in Patrician splendour. 

But hark, a footstep ! May we not intrude ? 

And now, methinks, I hear a gentle laugh, 

And gentle voices mingling as in converse ! 

— And now a harp -string as struck carelessly, 

And now — along the corridor it comes— 

I cannot err, a filling as of baths ! 

■ — Oh no, 'tis but a mockery of the sense, 

Idle and vain ! We are but where we were ; 

Still wandering in a City of the Dead ! "* 

What always surprises the visitor is the small scale of 
everything at Pompeii. The streets are very narrow, but 
have a high-raised foot-pavement, and two or three large 
stepping-stones at the crossings to enable the passenger to 
pass over dry-shod daring rains. The shops and ordinary 
dwellings are of the most minute dimensions — literally too 
small " to swing a cat in " — and one is puzzled how the in- 



* Rogers, " Italy." 



THE FORUM OF POMPEII. 



109 



habitants could have stowed themselves away. Even the 
dwellings of the wealthier inhabitants are on a very limited 
plan ; but then it is surprising how elegantly their small 
space is disposed. As in eastern countries, there is gener- 
ally an open court, with a fountain, and a shady portico 
around it, which was probably the general place of resort 
for the family, besides one or two inner chambers, — the 
bed-rooms being mere nooks and niches. The floors are 
everywhere inlaid with beautiful mosaic, at once cool and 
ornamental ; the walls adorned with frescoes, which dis- 
play both the love of art and the corruption of morals 
with which society was pervaded. 

A striking scene is the Forum, the heart of the city, 
and the great lounging-place of the inhabitants ; exten- 
sive, and, unlike the streets, very open, with an area sur- 
rounded by shady porticoes. The principal temples and 
the tribunal of justice opened upon it. If we climb 
an angle of one of these buildings, and look down upon 
all this as upon a ground-plan — these temples and porti- 
coes being all roofless, though the pillars are standing — 
it is not difficult to repeople this vast and vacant space 
with all the mingled population of the city, — patricians, 
plebeians, priests, senators, loungers, who were wont to 
congregate in the shade of its pillared corridors. 

Still more impressive is the great Amphitheatre, where 
it is generally supposed the people were assembled at the 
very moment of the eruption. It is an immense oval, 



110 



RECALLING THE DRAMA. 




THE A3IFHITHEATEE. 



capable of accommodating many thousand spectators, and 
is still in a very good state of preservation. From the 
topmost bench there is a wide view over the bay and its 
shores ; while Vesuvius looms up black and threatening 
in the background. Hence the catastrophe comes vividly 
home to the imagination ; — the mountain belching forth 
the torrents of lava that engulfed Herculaneum — the air 
black with the ashes that buried Pompeii — the horror 
and consternation of the inhabitants, hurrying down 
amidst the suffocating dust to the shore of the bay, to 
seek for safety in flight, at the same time that Pliny, 
crossing over from the distant shore of Baise, perishes 
among the obscure crowd of fugitives ; — it is impossible 
to stand here, and not to realize the terrible drama, the 
scene of which is so clearly unrolled around. 



AT HERCULANEUM. 



113 



But nowhere does it come home more painfully to the 
mind than in the dark underground vaults of the Villa of 
Diomedes, where the very impress of the bodies of those 
who, taking shelter from the burning shower, as the hot 
dust penetrated deeper and deeper into its recesses, were 
there blocked up and suffocated, may still be seen upon 
the ash-encrusted wall. 

On our way back we paused a while at Portici, to de- 
scend into the subterranean excavations of Herculaneum. 
A guide, bearing a torch, piloted us down a rugged path- 
way cut through the lava, to the theatre, some few seats 
of which appear half excavated in the solid mass. On- 
ward we followed him along vaults and corridors, dimly 
revealed by the flickering torch-light : but the excavated 
portion of Herculaneum is, for an obvious reason, nothing 
compared with that of Pompeii. 

The ride back to Naples was glorious. The sun set 
over the bay, and when the twilight came on, the long 
curving line of lamps glancing for miles along its shores, 
and scattered up the hill-sides, produced a most magical 
effect. Every shrine of the Virgin had its lamp lighted ; 
and on peeping into little shops and houses, the same 
figure appeared presiding over the interior of the house- 
hold. On reaching our inn we found a grand festa in full 
operation close at hand. A scaffolding was built up 
against a dead wall, in the centre of which had been 
inserted an extempore shrine glittering with gold and 

(212) 8 



114 



A NEAPOLITAN FETE. 



spangles, and in the midst a waxen image of the Virgin, 
which would have been pronounced a " love of a doll" 
by a girl of ten years old. A band of musicians was 
ranged alongside on the benches, braying forth a very 
noisy if not melodious concerto. There was a military 
orchestra provided by a paternal government, who ever 
and anon poured forth a tremendous roar of musketry ; 
while the street was all in a blaze with variegated lamps ; 
and a superb discharge of fireworks formed the climax of 
the spectacle. 

The people crowded the street with the eagerness of 
children at a fair ; while a band of friars was engaged in 
turning the affair to account by vending a life of the 
Virgin for one or two grana. Such is religion in Naples ; 
and some, perhaps, will doubt whether such a people are 
capable of comprehending any other. 



CHAPTER III. 



VOYAGE TO SICILY THE VOLCANIC! ISLAND OF STROMBOLI — PERILS OF THE FARO — ■ 

WHIRLPOOL OF CHARYBDIS HARBOUR OF MESSINA POSITION AND CLIMATE 

OF THE CITY EARTHQUAKE OF 1783 BOMBARDMENT OF 1848 QUAY OF MES- 
SINA — ITS ENVIRONS — THEIR ROMANTIC CHARACTER — ITS MONUMENTS — THE 

CATHEDRAL — STATUE OF DON JOHN OF AUSTRIA — GIARDINI — A FESTA THE 

THEATRE OF TAORMINA — A MAGNIFICENT PANORAMA — HISTORICAL REMINIS- 
CENCES — NAXOS — THE SCALA DE ACI — THE SCOPULI CYCLOPUM — COAST SCENERY. 

/ZS&NE reason, perhaps, why so few people care to 
visit Sicily, is to be found in the exquisite 
fascinations of Naples and its environs. By 

jSf^ the time they have looked down upon that 
" unrivalled bay from the summit of Vesuvius, 
explored Sorrento, Amalfi, and Baise, walked through 
the deserted streets of Pompeii, sailed about the roman- 
tic islands of Ischia and Capri, they begin to believe that 
earth has nothing more lovely to show, and their faculty 
of enthusiasm is almost exhausted. It requires more 
than average curiosity to go in quest of scenes which, if 
they present some points of novelty, cannot be more 
beautiful than those already around us. 

Having nevertheless undertaken to conduct the 
traveller into Sicily, we shall at once suppose him on 



116 VOYAGE TO SICILY. 

board one of the French steamers, which leaving Naples 
every ten days, keep up the communication with Mes- 
sina and Malta. In fine weather this is a most delight- 
ful run, along the shores of the bay, past Capri, and 
in sight of the rugged mountains of Calabria. After a 
run of four-and-twenty hours the shores of Sicily begin 
to loom up gradually to the southward. 




As they come faintly into view, the bold and striking 
•roup of the Lipari Islands stands out in front of them 



THE LIGHTHOUSE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN. 117 



like so many giant sentinels. Right on onr course is 
Stromboli, the easternmost of these islands, a lofty vol- 
canic cone rising out of the sea in isolated grandeur, 
apparently quite given up to desolation, but with a 
small town and a sprinkling of cultivation upon its 
rugged flanks. 

Those who have ascended to the crater, speak of it as 
a far more toilsome and difficult undertaking than to 
climb either Etna or Vesuvius ; but the view from it is 
surprisingly grand, with the deep crater below, and the 
sea almost beating at one's feet. The effect of this 
"lone volcanic isle," when belching forth fire and 
flame as from below the depths of the ocean, is so 
awfully grand, as to have associated it in the popular 
mind with the idea of the bottomless pit. " Supersti- 
tion," says Smyth, " is not idle with respect to this 
wonderful abyss ; and even Pope Gregory I. seriously 
believed it to be the abode of the damned ! Here Theo- 
doric the great Ostrogoth, despite of his virtues, was 
plunged by the ministers of divine vengeance on earth ; 
while William the Bad of Sicily and poor Henry VIII. of 
England have both been detected endeavouring to make 
their escape from this fiery caldron. An eminent contrac- 
tor of biscuit for the supply of the British navy is supposed, 
among English sailors, to be in durance there; and by a 
remarkable trial at Doctors' Commons about seventy or 
eighty years ago, the judge in his decision seemed to 



118 



HISTORIC SCENES. 



acquiesce in the opinion of his being consigned to its 

domains for ever. The culprit was a Mr. B . I 

have forgotten the name, but I can never lose the 
remembrance of the effect that reading this trial from 
the Naval Chronicle had on a naval audience while 
passing the island." 

Lord Byron, on his fatal voyage from Genoa to Greece, 
sailed past Stromboli ; and it is not improbable that the 
recollection of it suggested to him the striking image 
in his last poem written not many months after, in 
which the desolation of his soul is dej)icted with such 
painful vividness : — 

" The fire that in my bosom preys 
Is like to some volcanic isle ; 
No torch is kindled at its rays, — 
A funeral pile." 

Stromboli left behind, we soon enter the mouth of 
the Faro. On the left, the abrupt rock of Scylla pro- 
jects into the sea, — a spur of the rugged mountains of 
Calabria, which rise from the margin of the strait 
to an almost alpine elevation. On the other side are 
the sunny fruitful hills of Sicily. Cape Pelorus, the 
extreme point of the island, recalls the memory of Han- 
nibal's pilot, whom he is said to have put to death on 
suspicion of treachery, from finding that he was about 
to take his ships through the Faro, and to whose 
memory, in remorse, he afterwards erected a temple on 



THE EOCK OF SCYLLA. 119 




SCYLLA. 

the spot. There is no doubt, however, that it was a 
common thoroughfare in the time of the Romans. The 
channel is here about six thousand yards across, but 
gradually winding towards Messina, which speedily 
appears in sight, with its white buildings gracefully 
lining the shore. The perils of the Faro were depicted 
by the ancient poets, everybody knows, as fearful in 
the extreme ; but on this point "a modern naval autho- 
rity well remarks, that as the Athenians and Syra- 
cusans, as well as Locrians and Rhegians, did not 
hesitate to fight in it, it could not have been consi- 
dered so fearfully horrible by ancient sailors as it was 
by ancient poets." 

Immediately without the projecting point of land 



120 



HARBOUK OF MESSINA. 



which encloses the port of Messina, is the famous whirl- 
pool of Charybdis, formed probably by the meeting of 
the two currents of the strait and the harbour. It is 
from seventy to ninety fathoms deep ; and presents a 
pool of curling eddies sufficiently powerful to whirl 
round a seventy-four gun ship, and, of course, enough to 
endanger the safety of the small undecked vessels of the 
ancients. 

As soon as it is passed, the spacious harbour of Mes- 
sina opens to view. The general effect is very striking. 
A curving line of noble palaces borders the shore, whose 
effect however, is sadly marred by the circumstance that 
a large portion of them are only one story high, as they 
were left unfinished in consequence of the earthquakes 
which have ravaged the city. The broad and noble 
quay, decorated with a fine marble fountain and statue 
of Neptune executed by Giovanni Angelo Montarsoli, of 
Florence, in 1557, is lined with shipping from all 
parts of Europe and America ; the foreign trade of 
Messina, which, however, is principally in the hands 
of strangers, being very considerable. Overlooking this 
quay stands one of the principal hotels, the Hotel du 
Belvedere, or Great Britain, a spacious and handsome 
building. 

The splendid commercial situation of the city has 
caused it to flourish in spite of the calamities of all 
descriptions with which it has so often been visited. 



A SUCCESSION OF EARTHQUAKES. 121 

Messina, to quote from a popular account of these disas- 
ters, being situated between Mount Etna and the Gulf 
of Charybdis, and being likewise at no great distance 
from the volcanoes of Lipari and Stromboli, must have 
been in all ages liable to suffer from earthquakes. Such 
terrible events,' however, appear to have been more 
unfrequent in ancient than in modem times, and have 
alarmed the present age oftener than any other. In the 
year 1693, a fourth part of the cities of Sicily was 
destroyed by an earthquake. Messina merely felt the 
shock ; all its buildings, however, suffered. In the year 
174 2, it suffered another equally violent. The plague 
which followed in 1743, retarded the repairs necessary 
after the earthquake. In the year 1780, this city con- 
tinued for more than six months to suffer from new 
earthquakes. The autumn of the year 1782 was unusu- 
ally cold and rainy ; Fahrenheit's thermometer was often 
as low as 5 6 degrees. The succeeding winter was dry ; 
and the mercury never fell under 55 degrees ; and, 
what is uncommon in that season, storms were now and 
then observed to rise from the west : the pilots in the 
channel observed that the tides no longer rose at the 
usual periods, and the Gulf of Charybdis raged with 
extraordinary fury. 

On the 5th of February 1783, the air was heavy 
and calm ; the sky obscured with thick clouds, and the 
atmosphere seemingly all in a flame. About half after 



122 



A TEKMBLE CALAMITY. 



twelve at noon, the earth began to shake with a dread- 
ful noise. The shocks continually increased, and became 
at length so violent as to open the ground, and to over- 
turn in two or three minutes a considerable part of the 
buildings. A long white cloud appeared to the north- 
west, and soon after another very dark in the same 
quarter of the heavens. The latter in a moment spread 
over the whole horizon, and deluged the city with rain 
and hail accompanied with dreadful claps of thunder. 
The inhabitants fled in the utmost terror to the fields 
and the ships in the harbour. From mid-day till five in 
the afternoon, the earthquake continued almost without 
interruption. The shocks then became somewhat less 
frequent. The cries of the dying ; the shrieks of those 
who were half buried under the ruins ; the wild terror 
with which others who were still able attempted to 
make their escape ; the despair of fathers, mothers, and 
husbands, bereft of those who were dearest to them, — 
these formed altogether a scene of horror such as can but 
seldom occur in the history of the calamities of the 
human race. Amid that fearful scene, instances of the 
most heroic courage and of the most generous affection 
were displayed. Mothers, regardless of their own safety, 
rushed into every danger to snatch their children from 
death. Conjugal and filial affection prompted deeds not 
less desperate and heroic. But no sooner did the earth- 
quake cease than the poor wretches who had escaped 



OUTBURST OF THE STOKM. 



123 



began to feel the influence of very different passions. 
When they returned to visit the ruins, to seek out the 
situation of their fallen dwellings, to inquire into the 
fate of their families, to procure food and collect some 
remains of their former fortunes, such as found their cir- 
cumstances the most wretched became suddenly animated 
with rage, which nothing but wild despair could inspire. 
The distinction of ranks and the order of society were 
disregarded, and property eagerly violated. Murder, 
rapine, and lawless robbery reigned among the smoking 
ruins. . . . The disastrous year of the earthquake was 
scarcely concluded, the chasms which it had opened in 
the ground were still yawning, and the poor inhabitants 
of the adjacent country still trembled with terror, when 
the elements again renewed their fury to ravage this 
miserable land. On Tuesday the Gth January 1784, 
about sunrise, the wind began to blow softly from the 
north-east. The sea gradually swelled, rose above its 
bed with rapid impetuosity, overflowed the quay of 
Messina, and lashed with its billows the ruins of the 
Palazzata. It loosened and displaced many of the stones 
of the mole, spread over the whole street, and attacked 
the pedestals of the statues which had been spared by 
the earthquake and still stood firm among the ruins. 
The same furious wind which swelled the sea in so 
extraordinary a manner, ravaged the whole coast from 
Messina all the way to Syracuse. 



124 



BOMBARDMENT OF THE CITY. 



In 1852, Messina was again thrown into the greatest 
consternation. In the month of January the shocks of 
earthquake were extremely frequent, but their number 
and degree increased to a frightful extent on the night 
of the 26th of February, when the whole population 
stayed out of doors for fear of the houses falling in. 
Some old inhabitants, who recollected those of the 5th 
of February 1783, declared that the shocks commenced 
a month before in the same manner, and at last ended 
in the total destruction of the town. These fearful anti- 
cipations, however, were not destined to be realized. 

Although the commercial activity of Messina speedily 
effaces the ravages of earthquake or of war, and its 
streets are full of their wonted activity, there yet remain 
dismal traces of the last cruel bombardment in 1848, by 
which the ever-infamous " Bomba " raised to the highest 
pitch the aversion with which he had been previously re- 
garded by the Sicilians. Notwithstanding the protest of 
Lord Napier against the further prosecution of hostilities, 
which " could only increase the permanent exasperation 
of parties already unreasonably inflamed, and the close 
of every avenue to ultimate reconciliation," the Neapoli- 
tan Government, on finding that the English and French 
forces intended to remain neutral, resolved to reduce 
Messina by force. Accordingly, on August 30 th, a 
flotilla left Naples with a body of troops, and having 
landed them, the city was bombarded from the citadel 



THE UNPARALLELED CRUELTY. 



125 



with the utmost fury. The Messinese offered a most 
heroic defence. "The courage of the populace," says 
Lord Napier, "had risen to such a pitch of enthusiasm, 
that it was impossible to witness their efforts without 
deep emotion and sympathy. The streets were barri- 
caded and mined, and all ranks and classes of either sex 
seemed animated by an equal spirit of resistance, and 
prepared to die under the ruins." The foreign consuls 
protested earnestly against the destruction of this beau- 
tiful city, and the short notice given them to remove 
their respective countrymen. For two days the insur- 
gents sustained the overwhelming attack of a superior 
power, till the town was set in flames, and the French 
and English ships were crowded with unhappy fugitives. 
At length the Sicilian batteries were silenced and all 
opposition at an end, yet for eight hours after, the Nea- 
politans still continued the bombardment, indicating, as 
Admiral Sir William Parker observed in his despatch, 
" ferocity to which a parallel can scarcely be found in 
the records of civilized warfare." The Neapolitan troops 
then entered the desolated city, "burning whole streets, 
and committing the most unheard-of ravages." Some 
of the details of their cruelties are really too horrible to 
be cited. The French and English admirals, who, 
owing to the neutrality imposed upon them, had reluct- 
antly stood aloof without venturing to interfere, unable 
any longer to witness such a scene of horror, impera- 



126 



CITADEL OF MESSINA. 



tively demanded, in the name of humanity, a cessation 
of hostilities until negotiations could be set on foot, a 
demand with which the Neapolitans were reluctantly 
obliged to comply. After bestowing upon the Messinese 
these proofs of his kindness and tender mercies, the 
Neapolitan Governor issued a proclamation, declaring 
" that his Majesty our lord the king, like a loving father 
of his people, forgets their past errors, in the certain 
persuasion that his Sicilian subjects will from hencefor- 
ward return to that devoted and faithful attachment to 
his sacred person which has always endeared them to 
his heart." How devoted was this attachment the 
Messinese showed in 1860, when they joyfully welcomed 
the arrival of Garibaldi and his army of deliverance. 
The liberator entered the city in triumph on the 31st of 
July, and only the citadel remained in the occupation of 
the Neapolitan troops. As already related, this too was 
compelled to surrender to the Italian forces, under 
General Cialdini, in March 1861. It is described as a 
fortress of great strength. It was erected by Charles II. 
of Spain in 1680, from the designs of a German engineer, 
Carl Nuremberg ; is pentagonal in form, and mounts 
three hundred guns. The other defences of the city are 
the Rocca Guelfonia, on the west, rendered conspicuous 
by its tall octagonal tower, and dating from the epoch 
of Count Roger's conquest of Sicily ; the Castello di San 
Salvatore, at the entrance of the fort, rebuilt by Charles V. ; 



A BRILLIANT SPECTACLE. 



127 



and on the green mountains in the rear of the city, the 
Castello Gonzaga, built by the Viceroy of that name in 
1540, and Castallaccio, erected by the Viceroy Juan de 
la Vega, in 1550-57. 

The beautiful quay of Messina, at sunset, is now an 
agreeable and a brilliant spectacle. Gay equipages and 
gallant cavaliers dash past ; a crowd of pedestrians press 
along, hurrying to take their evening walk along the 
fine road which borders the northern shore of the strait. 
The sea-breeze blows in fresh and bracing ; the opposite 
mountains of Calabria, with the deep ravines and snow- 
topped peaks, are dyed in the gorgeous red of a 
southern sunset, which slowly fades away, till they stand 
gray and awful in the twilight, and the rising moon 
begins to show upon the Faro, and tinge the vessels 
working up and down the channel with fitful gleams of 
light. It is the hour of enjoyment in the warm south : 
the artificer, his work over, inhaling the freshness, sits 
at his open door, while his children play in the street ; 
old gossips, ranged along the wall, indulge in their most 
intimate communications ; the young people walk abroad, 
conversing in hushed breath, in an atmosphere that 
breathes of love ; cafes and ice-shops are filled ; every- 
thing seems given up to quiet luxurious enjoyment. 

In truth, the face of nature is ever smiling in Sicily. 
The environs are lovely and exuberantly fruitful, and no 
one should fail to ascend the neighbouring mountain, 



128 



THE LIPARI ISLANDS. 



which commands a sublime view of the whole length of 
the straits, the city, and the northern coast. The first 
part of the ascent should be made on the back of a 
donkey, which may readily be obtained near the hotel ; 
the latter, being very steep, is best performed on foot. 
The best way to return is by the telegraph station, on 
the carriage road to Palermo, which opens up some agree- 
able prospects. Here the sickle-form, of the tongue of 
land enclosing the harbour, whence the Greeks gave to 
it the name Z ancle, is clearly seen, as well as the char- 
acter of the environs, composed of innumerable confcal 
hills and deep ravines, the Calabrian mountains forming 
a sublime background. 

From this spot, too, a magnificent view is obtained 
of the Lipari Islands, from Stromboli to Alicuri, 
exhibiting, in fcheir wildly abrupt and varied outline, 
every variety of volcanic formation. At a distance they 
appear too rugged to be inhabited ; but they contain, 
nevertheless, several towns and a considerable popula- 
tion. These wild, fantastic-looking rocks, starting from 
the sea, were supposed by the ancients, says Smyth, to 
be the chimneys of a vast subterranean cavity, inhabited 
by Steropes, Brontes, and Arges ; while the caverns in 
which iEolus imprisoned the winds were in this archi- 
pelago of fires. Here also Diana was placed by Latona 
in her infancy ; here Vulcan forged the thunderbolts of 
Jupiter ; and here the sooty Brontes embraced a rain- 



MONUMENTS OF MESSINA. 



129 



bow instead of the Queen of Chastity. Passing from 
these mythical fables to something like well-grounded 
fact, it would appear that Liparus, son of Auson, passed 
over from Italy and built the city bearing his name. 
iEolus arrived and married his daughter ; and from his 
knowledge of meteorology and predictions of the winds 
and weather, the popular belief is supposed to have 
arisen. He also supposes Panaria to be the lost Euony- 
mus of Plato. 

The monuments of Messina are not of any special 
interest. Of the Greek and Saracenic period nothing 
remains. The Cathedral, il Duomo (or the Church of 
Santa Maria Nuova), is of mixed style, having been 
commenced by Count Roger, and completed by his son, 
King Roger. It is basilica-shaped, with three apses, 
enriched by mosaics, but of far less interest than the 
cathedrals of Cefalu. and Monreale, in the same style. 
The original roof, burned by accident in 1254, was 
afterwards replaced by King Manfred. It contains no 
pictures of any mark. The west front is curious and 
picturesque, in the mixed style of the fourteenth century, 
and built of alternate courses of white and pale red 
marble. The fountain in front of it is exceedingly 
graceful. A dome springs from the intersection of the 
nave and transepts. The total length of the building is 
305 feet ; its breadth in the transepts, 145 feet ; 
breadth of the nave, 101 feet ; and height of the roof, 

(212) 9 



130 A SOUVENIR OF CCEUH DE LION. 

78 feet. The archaeologist will be gratified by visiting 
L'Annunziata de' Catalani, resembling the Romanesque, 
built early in the twelfth century ; the porch of Santa 
Maria della Scala, and of La Cattolica (or Nostra Donna 
del Graffeo), in the Pointed style ; while the amateurs of 
gorgeous decoration should not fail to look in upon the 
Church of the Gregorian Nuns (S. Gregorio), whence there 
is, besides, a magnificent view of the city and straits. 

Other churches, which should be visited either for 
their architectural merits or internal decorations, are : 
S. Francesco d'Assisi, built towards the close of the thir- 
teenth century ; S. Francesco de' Mercanti, with a fine 
picture by Schidone ; S. Agostino ; S. Angelo de' Rossi, 
anciently an hospital for the Teutonic knights ; Santa 
Maria di Gesu Inferiore ; La Maddelena, with its noble 
and spacious interior ; and the Annunziata de' Tealene, 
erected by Simon Carafa, Archbishop of Messina, in 
1660. 

It has already been mentioned in the introduction 
that Richard Cceur de Lion wintered at Messina on his 
way to Palestine ; and it is traditionally believed that 
he built a tower commanding the town. It was an 
object with us, if possible, to discover this relic, and we 
repaired to a tower several stories high, now inclosed in 
a prison ; but on examining this edifice, it proved far 
too massive for so hasty an erection. We were unable, 
however, to examine it closely. In the Piazza Annun- 



RAMBLES IN MESSINA. 



131 



ziata, on the Corso, stands a noble bronze statue of Don 
John of Austria, who sailed hence on his famous expedi- 
tion against the Turks ; but this interesting monument 
was much injured in the bombardment of 1848. It 
was the work of the sculptor Andrea Calamech, in 1572, 
and designed to commemorate the Austrian commander's 
great sea victory at Lepanto, which delivered Christen- 
dom from its dread of Mohammedan supremacy. It is 
the only bronze statue now extant in Messina ; the rest 
were melted down by the citizens during the struggle of 
1848, to be recast into artillery. 

The principal streets of Messina, which are generally 
well built and regular in plan, are the Strada Ferdi- 
nanda, now called Garibaldi ; the gay and lively Corso, 
the " Rotten Row " of the Sicilian city ; the Strada 
d' Austria, or Punio Settembre ; Strada Cardines, or La 
Guidecca ; and La Marina, the quay — already spoken 
of — which follows the waving shore for upwards of a 
mile. Its line of palaces, now carried up to their full 
height, was seriously injured by the great earthquake of 
1783 and the bombardment of 1848. 

Besides the Piazza Annunziata, Messina possesses, as 
squares, the Piazza Garibaldi ; the Piazza del Palazzo 
Reale ; the Piazza delle Quattro Fontane ; the Flora, or 
Giardlno Inglese ; and the Piazza del Duomo, the eastern 
side of which is occupied by the Cathedral, and the 
western by the old Palace of the Tribunals. 



132 



THE ROAD TO CATANIA. 



Few of the public buildings of Messina are architec- 
turally remarkable. The Palazzo de' Citta is a structure 
of classical design, begun in 1807 and completed in 
1829. The Palazzo Arievesurali occupies the site of the 
ancient Cathedral of Messina : it is a modern edifice, 
from the designs of Antonio Basilo. The Library of 
20,000 volumes, and the Gallery of Paintings in the 
Universita degli Studj, will probably possess attractions 
for many travellers. The Universita itself is a spacious 
but somewhat heavy pile of Roman Doric architecture, 
founded in 1548. 

Messina, we may add, is the capital of a province or 
prefecture of the same name, with a population, in 
December 1861, of 100,447. Its exports are oil, corn, 
wine, fruit, and silk. Its climate is very healthy and 
delightful, frost and snow being unknown in winter, and 
the summer heats agreeably tempered by refreshing 
breezes from the straits. 

The carriage-road from Messina to Catania fallows the 
shores of the Faro, and displays very pleasing scenery 
all the way. The fort of St. Alessio, built by the 
British during their occupation of the island, stands 
upon a bold promontory, from which the view extends 
on one side to Messina, and on the other to Taormina. 
This part of the ride resembles the famous Riviera of the 
Genoese coast, and is hardly less beautiful. Lofty moun- 
tains descend to the sea, leaving a narrow lim of richly- 



A SICILIAN FISHING-TOWN. 



13S 




THE FARO. 



cultivated plain, sprinkled with towns and villages ; 
while a broad margin of white sand runs along the 
shore, and masses of rock have fallen into the transparent 
water. The ride is positively enchanting all the way to 
Giardini, where those who intend to visit Taormina are 
obliged to take up their quarters. 

We found this little fishing town, which consists of 
one long street lining the sea, and crouching at the foot 
of lofty heights, amidst all the excitement of a festa. 
The inn (Albergo della Vittoria) was so crowded that 
with difficulty we obtained a room with a table and two 



134 



ASSISTING AT A FESTA. 



trestle beds, and a balcony overlooking the street, and 
in which we took post to survey the humours of the 
scene. And a pleasing scene it was too, contrasting very 
favourably with the drunkenness and riot of an English 
wake. The whole population, gentle and simple, fisher- 
men and fisherwives, turned out in their holiday attire, 
all the women wearing some ornament which seemed to 
have descended as an heir-loom from generation to gene- 
ration. On meeting their friends and neighbours they 
saluted them with an affectionate kiss, and entered into 
conversation. We were much amused with the airs of 
a few would-be dandies, most execrably dressed, invested 
in white kids and carrying gold-headed canes. There 
was an air of genuine enjoyment spread over the scene. 
Across the street were suspended a considerable number 
of variegated lamps, a chef d'ceuvre of nautical art, with 
a large model of a ship — the work of some gifted fisher- 
man. After dark began the real business of the festa. 
Bands of music struck up ; there were discharges of mus- 
ketry ; the street was illuminated, and the great ship 
being suddenly set on fire created an immense sensation ; 
bonfires blazed, rockets were thrown up ; and all in 
honour of some saint whose name has quite escaped my 
treacherous memory. All this may be called laziness 
and superstition ; but it is a grave and suggestive ques- 
tion, whether the lower orders, w T ith their numerous 
holidays and their harmless mode of enjoyment, do not 



THE THEATRE OF TAOEMINA. 



135 



spend their lives far happier than our over-worked and 
gin-excited population. 

From the copious dinner and clean bed provided for 
us in the midst of all this clatter, it is evident that the 
inn at Giardini has been improved since it called down 
the denunciations of Mrs. Mariana Starke. Anxious to 
see the sun rise from the heights above, we left it before 
dawn, and, retracing our road for about half a mile, 
struck up into a steep and very rugged path, which zig- 
zags up the cliff upon which this aerial city is perched. 
It was a tough and toilsome clamber of about two miles 
to the summit ; but at every step the air became purer 
and the glimpses of scenery more enchanting, and we 
kept on with unflagging perseverance till we stood on 
the topmost seat of the theatre of Taormina, 850 feet 
above the level of the sea. 

No one who has seen the sun rise from this glorious 
spot can ever forget it. Almost at our feet was the 
immense expanse of murmuring sea : below, the beauti- 
ful sweep of the theatre, and the broken arches of the 
proscenium, overhung by tremendous rocks half-covered 
with tufts of cactus ; the town upon its beetling preci- 
pice ; the winding shore, all the way from Syracuse to 
Messina ; with the stupendous mass of Etna, towering 
above everything beside. The whole was dyed in those 
rich purple undertones of colour which in the south 
affect the senses like music ; but the magic of light was 



180 



VIEW FROM TAORMINA. 



yet wanting, till the sun, rising unclouded from the east- 
ern wave, flashed instantaneously upon the cone of the 
volcano, suffusing it with the most delicate rose colour. 
Gradually it crept downward over the flank of the moun- 
tain — its precipices and forests, its cultivated slopes and 
white villages — until every detail of the magnificent 
scene was disclosed, lighted up with the resplendent 
transparency of a southern atmosphere. 

The view from Taormina is undoubtedly the finest in 
all Sicily, and has been the most frequently represented ; 
but nothing short of a panoramic picture could give any 
adequate idea of its wonderful variety, and words are 
wholly useless to convey a distinct idea of what the 
pencil alone can but imperfectly accomplish. 

The theatre is situated in a hollow of the mountain, 
and is semicircular in form. Great part of the Scena 
is still extant, with several Corinthian pillars, which 
were restored some years ago to their original posi- 
tion by the zeal of the Duke of Serra-di-falco, one of 
the greatest ornaments of the Sicilian nobility. In front 
is the space for the proscenium and orchestra. The 
seats for the spectators are gone. The top was sur- 
rounded by a wall and corridor supported on columns, 
one or two of which are still standing ; and so perfect 
was the conveyance of sound, that words uttered even 
in a low voice on the proscenium are distinctly heard at , 
the top. The chambers on each side the stage were pro- 



AN INTELLIGENT CICERONE. 



137 



bably devoted to actors, and a passage runs under it, 
supposed to have been intended for the prompter. The 
building, originally erected by the Greeks, was after- 
wards restored and modified by Roman taste. Its plan 
is a semicircle, or nearly so, but the cavea extends about 
10 feet on either side. The external diameter is 377 
feet, that of the orchestra 108 feet. Ingress and egress 
were permitted through two vomitories. An audience 
of 40,000 persons could conveniently have been accom- 
modated in this magnificent structure. 

The Scena is in an excellent state of preservation. It 
is a stout wall of brickwork, with three gates, and niches 
for statues ; the niches flanked by Corinthian columns 
of marble, granite, and cipolino. The proscenium or 
stage seems to have been of timber, 77j feet long and 
38 feet deep. The orchestra extended from hence to the 
podium of the cavea (or pit) for 54 feet. 

While engaged in its examination we were accosted 
by the custode of the edifice — one Giacinto Benenato — 
who, after minutely explaining every portion of it, led 
the way to a small lodge, in which is preserved an ancient 
marble sarcophagus. He also showed us several respect- 
able drawings of the theatre, which the wealthier class 
of travellers often carry away with them as memorials. 
We found this gentleman exceedingly intelligent and 
polite, and under his guidance visited what else was 
worthy of observation in the place. 



138 



AN EAGLE'S NEST. 



Insignificant as is Taormina at the present day — its 
population does not exceed 5000 — it was one of the 
most ancient and celebrated cities in all Sicily. It was 
the last place that held out against the Saracens ; and 
such was its almost impregnable strength that it resisted 
all the efforts of a numerous army for nearly eight 
months. Neither could the Normans wrest it from the 
Saracens until they had, by blockading it with ditches 
and towers, starved out the garrison, after a siege of 
more than six months. 

None of the antiquities at Taormina, except the 
theatre, proved of great interest, though an hour may 
be agreeably devoted to their examination. The Nau- 
machia and its cisterns stand on a rising ground behind 
the town, amidst some vineyards, the grapes fully 
maintaining their ancient deliciousness of flavour. One 
of these piscince measures 110 feet by 41, and is 
divided by eight square piers into two compartments. 
We were surprised and disappointed at finding no Sara- 
cenic remains ; but there are some beautiful morceaux 
of Norman architecture, especially La Badia Vecchia, 
near the wall which runs up to a ruined castle perched 
upon the summit of a rock. Above this, again, is a 
still higher one — a perfect eagle's nest, and apparently 
all but inaccessible. Anywhere but in Sicily a place 
like Taormina would be a fortune to the innkeepers ; 
but here is not a single place where the traveller can 



ACIS AND GALATEA. 



139 



linger to explore the spot, and he is confined to a hurried 
though ineffaceable impression of its unrivalled beauties. 

Taking leave of our intelligent cicerone at the Church 
of San Pancrazio, the site of a Greek temple,* we 
descended by a corkscrew path through a glen, display- 
ing a most surprising luxury of vegetation, to the high 
road, and so back to Giardini, whence we pursued our 
way to Catania. 

Just below Taormina, on the left hand, was Naxos, 
already alluded to as one of the earliest Grecian colonies 
in Sicily. The road passes by the sea-shore, across a 
rich and luxuriant country, and through the towns of 
Giarre (population, 18,345) and Aci Reale (population, 
24,831). Near the latter is a group of remarkable 
objects connected with the eruptions of Etna ; especially 
the so-called Scala de Aci, or Staircase of Acis, where, 
according to fable, that shepherd was murdered by his 
rival Polyphemus, for love of the beautiful Galatea. 
"The steps," says Mrs. Starke, " consist of at least nine 
different strata of lava, with a mould of vegetable earth 
between." The stream of lava on which Aci stands, 
according to Smyth, burst from Mount Etna during the 
second Punic war, and stopped the march of the Tauro- 
m email troops advancing to aid the Syracusans. 

* Some authorities look upon it as the temple raised to Apollo Areagetes by the 
first colonists of Naxos. Its cella was 45 feet wide, and its length probably exceeded 
100 feet. There are several interesting memorials of antiquity in this neighbourhood, 
especially some Reman tombs, containing niches for urns or lamps, and once enriched 
with frescoes. 



140 THE CYCLOPS' ISLANDS. 

The coast scenery is here rendered most striking by a 
singular cluster of islands called the Scogli de' Ciclopi, 
or Scopuli Cyclopum — that is, the crags which Poly- 
phemus hurled after Ulysses as he escaped to sea — huge 




Scopuli Cyclopum. 



masses of lava and basaltic columns, rising wildly out of 
the bosom of the ocean. The castle of Aci Castello, 
standing on a huge volcanic rock (250 feet), beetling 
over the waves, adds greatly to the effect of this singular 
picture. All the coast is haunted by classical associa- 



THE PORT OF ULYSSES. 



Ill 



tions. A small cove at Lognina, between this spot and 
Catania, was formerly believed to be the port of Ulysses, 
but is now so disguised by lava that it no longer answers 
the description given of it by Virgil : 

" Portus ab accessu ventoruno imniotus, et ingens, 



Ipse ; sed horrificis juxta tonat iEtna minis." 

The flagging winds forsook us with the sun , 
And, wearied, on Cyclopean shores we run ; 
The port capacious, and secure from wind, 
Is to the foot of thundering Etna joined. 



Shortly after Catania comes in sight, presenting a 
beautiful appearance, with its domes and towers, sur- 
rounded by the most luxuriant vegetation. It is one 
of the largest and handsomest cities in the island, but 
has not yet recovered the interruption to its prosperity 
occasioned by the revolution of 1848-9. 



Virgil's JEneid, book iii. 




CHAPTER IV. 



CATANIA, ITS HOTELS AND STREETS — A VOLCANIC REGION — MOUNT ETNA — ITS ZONES 
— THE CASTAGNO DI CENTO CxVVALLI ERUPTION OF 1669 — BENEDICTINE MONAS- 
TERY — ASCENT OF MOUNT ETNA — NICOLOSI — THE "WEATHER AND THE GUIDES — 
THE JESUITS — A MOONLIGHT RIDE — THE BOSCO, OR "WOODED REGION — A BIVOUAC 
THE CASA DEGLI INGLESI — ON THE MOUNTAIN SUMMIT A SCENE OF DESOLA- 
TION — ERUPTIONS OF ETNA — DESCENT OF THE MOUNTAIN — THE INDIAN FIG 

GIRO, OR CIRCUIT OF THE MOUNTAIN CASTLE OF PATERNO — ADERNO AND ITS 

NUNNERY — BRONTE — CURIOUS VOLCANIC PHENOMENA — NELSON AND BRONTE — 
RANDAZZO. 

fj WfEADER, believe an old traveller, that there are 
^LV, few things in a small way which produce a 
$|PE8? more saddening revulsion of feeling, after anti- 
Vf|||i4 cipating your arrival at a really good inn — an 
oasis of comfort in a desert of dirt and filth — than to 
find it entirely altered, and the presiding spirit who once 
imparted to it warmth and cheerfulness no longer among 
the living.* Such, alas ! is the case with the celebrated 
"Corona" at Catania, and its able, gentlemanly con- 
ductor, poor Giuseppe Abate, who was cut off during the 
struggle of 1848. It was generally reported that he 
was shot by accident ; but certain parties to whom I 

* However true this statement when formerly penned by Mr. Eartlett, its sweeping 
condemnation is no longer merited. The hotel, now conducted by Don Placido, has 
lost much of its quiet, but is managed with spirit, courtesy, and skill. 



A GLANCE AT CATANIA. 



143 



applied told me a very different tale. According to their 
version, Abate, though he took no active part in the 
business, was known to be unfavourable to the popular 
party. When General Filangieri carne to lodge at his 
house, he obtained, by some means, information of a 
plot to seize his person, and by warning him of his 
danger, enabled him to effect a timely escape. From 
this moment poor Abate was a marked man ; and though 
it is generally said that he perished by an accidental 
discharge of fire-arms, there are others who believe that 
he fell a victim to the death-shot of some lurking assassin. 

The streets of Catania (pop. 04,396), unlike those of 
most Italian cities, are broad and open, admitting a free 
circulation of air, but affording less shelter from the 
burning heat of the sun. Were the houses kept with 
the neatness of those of Valetta, this would be a very 
handsome city ; but dirt, dilapidation, and neglect of 
decency and comfort, give an air of shabbiness even to 
its finest squares and piazzas. It boasts of many chari- 
table institutions : among the rest is a Foundling 
Hospital ; the illegitimate births being here as one to 
five, a proportion which speaks ill indeed for the state 
of society and morals. 

From Taormina to Catania we have been the whole 
way skirting the base of the mighty Etna, and every- 
thing around reminds us that we are within the sphere 
of its influence. The soil is either volcanic ashes or 



141 



THE VOLCANO OF ETNA. 



disintegrated lava ; the streets of the city are built on 
lava, and are paved with lava blocks ; the churches are 
often constructed of it. At Catania the volcano and its 
phenomena are the absorbing subjects of interest. The 
instant you arrive at the hotel you are beset with venders 
of lava specimens and knick-knacks, and with guides 
who are eager to conduct you to the summit, furnished 
with a long list of testimonials from English milordi, 
Russian counts, and American citizens. Before starting, 
however, on this excursion, some general idea of the 
mountain, its extent, appearance, and phenomena, may 
not be unacceptable to the reader. 

If on the map of Sicily you place the point of a pair 
of compasses in the crater of Etna, and describe a circle 
of about one hundred miles in circumference, you will 
obtain a tolerably correct idea of the vast extent over 
which the volcano predominates. The summit of the 
cone is 1 0, 8 7 2 feet above the level of the sea ; but 
this altitude is scarcely apparent, from the gradual 
and graceful manner in which the sides of the volcano 
slope downward until they are confounded with the 
plain below. Perhaps one of the finest and most 
satisfactory views is that which the tourist obtains 
from the port of Catania, The foreground consists of 
a huge mass of lava, which, after covering over the 
old city of Catania, poured into the sea, where its 
black and jagged mass remains an eloquent memento 



THE ETNEAN ZONES. 



145 



of former convulsions. Catania, with its white buildings 
and graceful domes, reposes gracefully along the harbour, 
and behind, the country gradually rises up to the base 
of Etna itself. 

The whole of this immense region is everywhere 
covered with traces of volcanic action. Broad beds of 
lava, the issue of different eruptions, often pouring one 
over another, trace their sinuous course down the rugged 
flanks of the mountain, extending, as we have seen, even 
to the sea. The more recent remain black, and rugged, 
and fearful ; but the more ancient are half, or quite, 
decomposed, and thickly covered with vegetation. The 
first or Cultivated Region, the Piedimontana, rising 
gradually from the sea up to the base of the mountain, 
is a scene of the most luxuriant fertility. The olive, the 
vine, the fig, the prickly pear, almost entirely mantle 
over the volcanic soil. 

From the roots of the mountain another zone, called 

the II Bosco and Regione Nemorosa, or Woody Region, 

extends some six to eight miles up its sides, displaying 

forests, principally of oak, ilex, and chestnut, and in 

some places of pine, sometimes in dense masses, at others 

scattered in groups like the scenery of an English park, 

interspersed with fern and aromatic herbs. In the lower 

part of this region the trees exhibit surprising vigour of 

growth. Perhaps the most extraordinary specimen is 

about six miles above Giarre, called the Gastagno di 
(212) 10 



146 



A COLOSSAL CHESTNUT-TREE. 



Cento Cavalli, or " the chestnut-tree of the hundred 
horses."* This, if admitted to be indeed the offspring 
of but a single root, must be regarded as almost, if not 
quite, unequalled in dimensions ; but, as a reference to 




" THE CHESTNUT-TREE OF THE HUNDRED HORSES." 



the engraving will show, it consists in reality of five 
distinct trunks, together forming a circle, through the 
middle of which it would be easy to drive a carriage, 
while a hundred animals might certainly find shade and 
shelter beneath their wide-spreading branches. The 

* So named from a tradition that a Queen of Aragon took shelter in its trunk with 
her retinue of one hundred cavaliers. 



THE RED MOUNTAIN. 



147 



entire girth at three feet above the ground is about a 
hundred and eighty-four feet. It has been suggested 
that this is the stock of an old chestnut from which fresh 
branches have sprung up. Be that as it may, the tree, 
or group of trees, may well be cited as a striking instance 
of the prolific soil of the Bosco. 

The base of the mountain below the Bosco is studded 
with about one hundred and eighty miniature cones — 
miniature, if we consider them in comparison with the 
mighty parent — thrown up by different eruptions. Some 
of these, indeed, would anywhere else form very respect- 
able volcanoes of themselves ; as, for instance, the Monte 
Rosso, or Bed Mountain, above Nicolosi, so called from 
the colour of the ashes which compose it. This cone 
was the product of a comparatively recent eruption. 

Finally, from the Bosco to the summit extends a third 
region, the Diserta, Netta, or Discoperta, commencing at 
the height of 62*79 feet; — a scene of utter desolation, 
composed of deep hollows and dreary plateaux, covered 
with scorise and ashes, and buried in snow during 
several months of the year. This snow, however, is of 
vast importance to the whole population of Sicily, Malta, 
and sometimes even Barbary, where ices, during the 
heats of summer, are among the necessaries of life. 
The exhaustion of the stock is capable of producing 
serious disturbances ; and the governor of Catania was, 
on one occasion, obliged to offer a large reward for 



148 



RUINS OF ANCIENT CATANIA. 



any one who would discover a fresh supply, when at 
length a bed of snow was found covered beneath a 
torrent of lava. 

Owing to its proximity to Etna, Catania has been so 
repeatedly overwhelmed that none of its ancient edifices 
are now left standing above ground. Constructed with 
the lava of former eruptions, they are now embedded in 
that of later ones ; but by the zeal and energy of Prince 
Biscari, their position has been ascertained, and their 
remains partly disinterred from the close-locked embrace 
of the lava. It is not our intention to describe them in 
detail. Some, as the Theatre * and Odeon,-)- are the 
work of the Greeks, as the Amphitheatre J is of the 
Romans. Most of these excavations were exclusively 
intended to gratify antiquarian curiosity ; but one of 
them had utility chiefly as its object. There formerly 
stood beneath the castle, and close to the ancient wall of 
the city, a spring of delicious water, which was of in- 
estimable value to the surrounding neighbourhood. But 
during the eruption of 1669 an immense bed of lava 
descended upon this part of the city, gradually accumu- 

* The Theatre, in great part destroyed by Count Roger, is a semicircle in plan, with 
a diameter of 316| feet, that of the orchestra being 77 feet. There were originally 
thirty-three tiers of seats, all faced with marble. 

t The Odeon, or Odeum, west of the theatre, resembles it in arrangement and construc- 
tion, but is inferior in size. It measured 131 feet in external diameter ; 48 feet within. 

t This structure is situated behind the Piazza Stesicorea, and is probably of Eoman 
construction. It was destroyed by the citizens in 498 to repair the city walls. It forms 
an ellipsis in plan ; 430 feet in its extreme length, and 366 feet in its extreme breadth. 
The arena is 238 feet by 176. 



A CELEBEATED SPRING. 



149 



lating by pressure until it attained a depth of sixty feet, 
poured over the wall, covered in the spring, and finally 
projected its enormous mass into the harbour. As the 
want of the water was severely felt, its recovery became 
an important object, and a small orifice, fortunately left 
near the spot, enabled the prince to fix the site, and 
open an excavation which restored the hidden spring to 
its original uses. From the street above, a long winding 
staircase of sixty-three steps, between lateral and over- 
hanging masses of lava, conducts to the precious source, 
which, from the number of people constantly ascending 
and descending, is evidently in great request. Standing 
at the bottom, the ancient wall is seen on the right, 
overhung with what, at a distance, might be taken for 
a mighty rock, but which is in reality nothing but the 
black and hardened masses of once fluid red-hot lava, 
through which the passage was forced; while overtopping 
the whole are seen the houses of the modern city, which 
may again in their turn become subject to the like 
visitation. 

As connected with this last-mentioned eruption in 
1669, the Benedictine Monastery is worthy of especial 
notice. It stands on high ground in the upper part of 
the city, and is a very splendid and extensive edifice — 
the largest but one in Europe — containing a museum 
full of ancient Sicilian vases, resembling the Etruscan, 
with other curiosities well worthy of examination ; also 



150 



AN EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPE. 



a fine church, with an organ of remarkable power and 
sweetness. The garden is a delicious spot, full of the 
most odoriferous shrubs and flowers, and commanding a 
noble view of Etna, and it is formed upon a part of the 
same tremendous torrent which buried the ancient wall 
and spring above-mentioned. On looking over the wall, 
it appeal's fairly environed with a sea of lava, amidst 
which stand up also several arches of an ancient Roman 
aqueduct. The escape of this monastery was certainly 
most extraordinary — the fiery flood approaching on one 
side within ten yards, and on the other within five of it, 
when it suddenly divided into two branches, leaving the 
convent unharmed in the midst. Of course, there can 
be but one opinion assigned for this surprising escape by 
the monks : — 

" They say that Providence protected them ; 
For my part, I say nothing — lest we clash 
In our opinions." 

Nevertheless, scoffers there are to be found who, doubting 
whether the brethren were worthy of any special inter- 
position, attribute their immunity simply to the forma- 
tion of the ground, which breaking away, though slightly, 
in opposite directions, compelled the devouring torrent 
to do so likewise. It was an escape, however, that 
might well appear miraculous to a southern mind. 

After visiting these antiquities, the collection of Prince 
Biscari (at the Museo Biscari), and the different sights 



GEEMAN TRAVELLERS. 



151 



of Catania, I was anxious to ascend the mountain. One 
day, on entering the dining-room at the " Corona," I 
found the table laid for four ; and the maitre d'hdtel 
informed me that these guests were a party of Germans, 
who, after an early dinner, were to start in a coach hired 
to take them to Nicolosi and back again, whence they 
intended to make a nocturnal ascent of Etna. He ad 
vised me to seize this opportunity, as it was always more 
prudent, as well as pleasant, to go in a body. With the 
consent of these gentlemen I therefore joined them at 
table, and afterwards made one of their party. Of all 
foreign travelling companions, commend me to the 
Germans ; there is about them a plainness and hearti- 
ness congenial to John Bull. And then the economy of 
the thing ! — only leave them to manage the expenses, to 
do battle with innkeepers, and you will come off at 
least a third cheaper than in your own character of an 
Englishman. I do not know, indeed, whether they do 
not sometimes carry this spirit of economy a leetle grain 
too far. One of those gentlemen was a savant from 
Berlin, a man of immense information, but of almost 
childlike simplicity of manner, and on this occasion as 
full of animal spirits as a schoolboy broke loose for a 
holiday. The others were members of mercantile houses 
at Messina; the senior of whom, a short, square-built, 
resolute little man, with a fund of dry, sarcastic humour, 
and a terrible eye for an innkeeper's bill, undertook the 



152 



A BATTLE ABOUT A BILL. 



financial arrangements of the party. When the account 
was presented, it was his custom to pore over it long 
and intently ; then pointing to it with his finger, he 
would slowly lift up his eyes to those of the trembling 
waiter, with a solemn intensity of stare, as if to petrify 
the wretch who could dare to present so infamous and 
extortionate a demand. The battle then began in earnest, 
every item being disputed with the utmost fierceness and 
tenacity, but the conflict always ending in a considerable 
reduction — the innkeeper, knowing that if he charged 
the articles at less than prime cost he would have to 
take something off, having prudently put down more 
than he expected to get, although not more than he 
would have been perfectly contented to receive. In 
some of the smaller towns the charge is, indeed, quite 
experimental ; and I have myself cut down a bill to 
one-third, that third being not less than double what the 
natives would have paid. It is needless to say that the 
innkeeper was perfectly satisfied. 

After a jovial dinner, and packing into the carriage a 
copious supply of provisions, wine, and brandy, and 
arraying ourselves in our warmest habiliments, about 
two in the afternoon, when all the world were yet en- 
joying their siesta, we left Catania by the Strada Etnea, 
or Etna Street, and began slowly to climb the gentle and 
gradual slope, which extends as far as Nicolosi, about 
fourteen miles distant. It has been said that he who 



APPROACH TO ETNA. 



153 



ascends Etna must pass, in a few hours, through the 
torrid, the temperate, and the frigid zones. This is 
true to the fullest extent. The beams of an afternoon 
sun beating intensely upon the volcanic soil were in- 
sufferably oppressive, but nothing could exceed the 
luxuriance of the vegetable productions of this the lower 
zone of the mountain — a perfect garden for several miles. 
It was only in approaching Nicolosi, after a toilsome 
drag of three hours, that a change of scenery became per- 
ceptible. The olive-groves and vineyards grew gradually 
thinner, till they almost entirely ceased, their place being 
supplied by dreary beds of gray lava, interspersed with 
patches of heath and scrubby thickets of oak and chest- 
nut, showing, together with a greater coolness in the air, 
that we had passed through the torrid, and were now 
entering the temperate zone of the mountain. 

As we approached the little white village of Nicolosi, 
where we intended to halt some hours, the scene before 
us was exceedingly majestic. Close behind it rose two 
huge conical hills, composed of volcanic ashes, and 
called, from their colour, the Monti Rossi, or Red 
Mountains. These would be anywhere else very strik- 
ing objects; but the majestic mountain towering behind 
to the height of nearly 11,000 feet, appears in com- 
parison with them "like Ossa to a wart." 

At the entrance of the village we came to a halt and 
dismounted, and this being the end of the carriage-road, 



154 



AT NICOLOSI. 



were forthwith boarded by one of the guides, and con- 
ducted to the small inn which serves as a shelter for 
travellers ascending the mountain. It consisted of but 
a single principal room, with trestle-beds in the four 
corners, and a long deal table in the midst, with one or 
two smaller chambers ; but it looked clean and com- 
fortable, exceedingly so for Sicily ; and by referring to 
the book which displayed the signatures and chronicled 
the effusions, sentimental and otherwise, of people from 
all parts of the world, and of all ranks in society, we 
found that some travellers had taken up their abode in 
it for several days, and expressed themselves even more 
than satisfied with the host and his accommodation. 

Coffee was soon served, it being now about six 
o'clock, and a conference held with the chief of the 
guides, who, like those at Chamouni, form an organized 
community, subject to a code of their own, and are a 
trustworthy, intrepid, and obliging body of men. And 
though the ascent of Etna is easy, compared with that 
of Mont Blanc or the Jungfrau, yet the sudden vicissi- 
tude of temperature, the intense- cold, the clouds of 
sulphur, and the tremendous winds which often sweep 
the upper region of the volcano, require the presence of 
a trustworthy and experienced guide. To these may be 
added, in the winter and spring, the depth of snow 
which, as we found, had often prevented persons from 
reaching the summit ; an obstacle, however, with which 



THE CASA DEGLI INGLESI. 



155 



we had not to contend, as we had fallen upon the end 
of autumn, when none was left upon the mountain. 

Our first inquiry was touching the weather, which to 
our unpractised eye seemed most unfavourable, the crater 
being entirely concealed by thick clouds, but these the 
guides assured us would roll off before the morning. At 
their suggestion we then proceeded to pay a visit to 
Signor Gemellaro, who resided a few doors off, and who 
keeps the key of the " Casa degli Inglesi " (a hut of 
refuge at the foot of the cone, so called because erected 
at the expense of certain English officers during our 
occupation of the island), and who is regarded as an 
infallible authority in all matters concerning Etna aud 
its belongings. 

Preceded by the guide, we set out in a body, and on 
knocking at a gate, were admitted into a court-yard, 
surrounded on three sides with vines, and having on the 
other the simple abode of the good signor, who lives, 
like a philosopher of old, amidst his books and speci- 
mens, in a decent mediocrity of fortune. As he came 
forth and welcomed us, we were much prepossessed with 
his appearance ; and nothing could savour less of pedan- 
try and pretension than his manner, which displayed the 
ease and good breeding of polished society, with an 
openness and cordiality peculiar to himself. He showed 
us his Etnean specimens, maps, &c, encouraged us to per- 
severe in our intention, and gave the necessary orders for 



156 



COMMENCING THE ASCENT. 



our guides and horses. After spending a very pleasant 
half-hour with him, we took our leave and returned to 
the inn. Signor Gemellaro, who came of a good family 
at Catania, might almost have been termed "the old man 
of the mountain," having lived all his life beneath its 
shadow, and devoted all his energies to the examination 
of its phenomena. He had already witnessed one or two 
of its eruptions, and prognosticated new ones before long. 
His researches were really valuable, and his attentions to 
travellers unremitting. With the aid of their occasional 
contributions, he did all that lay in his power to keep the 
" Casa degli Inglesi " in decent repair ; but, as he in- 
formed us, the winds and earthquakes had sadly shat- 
tered it, and its present condition was exceedingly 
ruinous. 

Everybody knows that the great object of ascending 
Etna is to see the sun rise from its summit ; and in 
order to do this it is necessary to leave Nicolosi about 
nine o'clock at night, six hours' riding being required to 
reach the Casa degli Inglesi, and about another to halt 
there and climb the cone. At nine, therefore, our 
horses were in waiting at the door of the hostelry. On 
our way to Nicolosl we had passed, mounted on asses, 
three Jesuits in their black robes, who politely saluted 
us, and who now sent word that they should be happy 
to join us ; but this proposal seemed anything but agree- 
able to our leader. "I never can move," he said, "but 



A RUGGED ROAD. 



157 



these ill-omened ravens are hovering about my track. 
The other day, on the steamer, no less than thirteen 
Jesuits were on board : thirteen, gentlemen ; think of 
that in case of a storm," he repeated, with an expression 
of sarcastic bitterness. A discouraging, not to say 
rather a rude reply, was returned, and leaving the 
Jesuits to shift for themselves, we mounted our quadru- 
peds and set off without them. 

Although the night was starry, the moon had not yet 
risen, and in the uncertain light we found the pathway, 
worn across a tract of lava, exceedingly rugged and 
tedious. The surface of these lava beds is not, as the 
reader may perhaps imagine, smooth and level, but 
resembles immense masses of burnt bricks, full of yawn- 
ing holes and rents. At every step the horses slip, and 
get their feet entangled ; yet, from long habit, they 
generally contrive to pick their way without falling. 
These irregular masses of lava presented a most fantastic 
and wonderful appearance in the light of the moon, 
which rose upon us as we reached the commencement of 
the Bosco, or woody region, into which we now struck, 
single file, as the narrowness of the path, obstructed with 
stones and roots of trees, would alone enable us to do. 

We enjoyed beyond measure our romantic moonlight 
ride through the Bosco. The path kept constantly and 
rapidly on the ascent, and our long winding cavalcade 
sometimes crossed an open glade surrounded with gnarled 



158 



A HALTING-PLACE. 



oak-trees, whose bold stems and fantastic branches glit- 
tered ghost-like in the whitening beams, sometimes dived 
among the deep recesses of the foliage, or threaded the 
brink of some hollow umbrageous chasm. In this way 
we continued to ascend for about three hours, the air 
getting sensibly colder, until, just before emerging from 
the shelter of the woods, the shouts of our guides sum- 
moned us to bring up alongside an old withered prostrate 
trunk, which formed at once a rallying-place and shelter. 
Our steeds were turned loose under the care of a lad 
who had trotted after us from Nicolosi ; and a huge fire 
was immediately kindled, which, glaring over the scat- 
tered group and the surrounding forest-trees, produced a 
singular and startling effect. Our provisions were forth- 
coming, — cold fowls unceremoniously torn in four like 
criminals by wild horses, and eagerly devoured. What 
with this cheer, and the copious libations which washed 
it down, the warmth of the fire, and the wild excite- 
ment of the scene around, the forest was ringing to our 
obstreperous clamour, when the light suddenly revealed 
the broad-brimmed hats and lanky figures of our rejected 
Jesuits, who, with their guide, had set out directly after 
us, and followed closely upon our traces. "The ravens 
are on us," whispered our jovial little leader, as he stood 
upon a log, with the third bottle in hand, ready to dis- 
pense to a whole circle of jingling glasses ; " and English 
they are, too, or T am mistaken," he added, catching a few 



CONTINUATION OF THE ASCENT. 



159 



words of their conversation as they came within earshot 
of our bivouac. At this I immediately stepped forward, 
and respectfully accosted the new-comers in our native 
tongue. The oldest was a tall man, about fifty, of 
high-bred and courtly address. The others, one of whom 
had a singularly prepossessing countenance, and answered 
to an aristocratic name, were about twenty, and appa- 
rently under his control. As they drew near the fire, 
the young man above signalized, overcome with fatigue, 
threw himself upon the ground, declaring that he could 
go no further, and earnestly entreated to be allowed to 
enjoy but a few minutes' sleep before beginning the last 
and most difficult part of the ascent. To this rash 
request the guides were however inexorable, and rallying 
the young fellow with brandy and exhortations, we got 
him on his horse again, and recommenced our climb. 

Never perhaps (except the Jesuits, who maintained 
their habitual decorum) did a more uproarious party 
ascend Etna than our own. We soon quitted the Bosco, 
and scrambled up the open mountain-side at the pleasure 
of our horses, and by paths which, on descending the 
next day, we were utterly unable to recognize. The 
Germans roared out fragments of national songs " with- 
out mitigation or remorse of voice ; " but this wildfire 
was shortly spent. As we got higher and higher up 
the unsheltered side of the mountain, the temperature 
grew rapidly colder, and a keen wind, from which the 



1G0 ARRIVED AT THE CASA. 

forests had sheltered us, began to chill us to the very 
bone. It was curious enough to hear the catches 
gradually growing fainter and fainter, until they ceased 
altogether, succeeded by chattering of teeth and shiver- 
ing of the limbs, and slapping of the arms and thighs, 
with anxious inquiries of the guides of "how far it was 
yet to the Casa." "In less than an hour you will be 
there," was the encouraging reply. An hour, indeed, it 
proved to be, and by far the longest and the bitterest 
within my recollection. 




CASA DEGLI IKGLESL 



Our jaws were rattling like castanets when we reached 
the Casa degli Inglesi, which appeared, as Signor Gemel- 



LAST STAGE OF THE ASCENT. 



161 



laro had informed us, almost in a state of ruin. It was 
about two in the morning, the stars yet shining brightly, 
and the cone faintly distinguishable in the background. 
Half petrified, we dismounted from our horses, and 
entered this miserable hovel, and the guides exerted 
themselves to kindle a little fire, but it was some time 
before they were able to do so. The cold was excessive ; 
the wind, which had now considerably increased, cut us 
all to the bone, and, for my own part, I suffered from 
an oppression of the chest which I did not get rid of for 
several hours afterward. After taking some refreshment, 
we braced up our nerves for the final clamber, and set 
forth, one or two guides bearing torches to pilot us over 
the rugged beds of lava between the Casa and the cone. 
This part of the business was very disagreeable to our- 
selves, but would have been comic enough to a spectator: 
the torches of the guides danced about like a will-o'-the- 
wisp, and sometimes disappeared altogether in some 
rugged hollow ; while, stumbling and floundering along, 
wounding our shins and scratching our hands against 
the jagged edges of the lava, but avoiding a serious 
tumble, in about a quarter of an hour we stood at the 
foot of the cone. 

Halting for a moment to gather fresh energy, we 
began the steep ascent, rendered additionally toilsome 
by the looseness of the soil, and the furious gusts of 
wind, which threatened fairly to blow us off our legs. 

(212) 1 1 



102 



THE SUMMIT OF ETNA. 



As we drew nearer the summit, at every few steps we 
were obliged to halt for breath, and plant our feet more 
firmly in the ashy soil, or avail ourselves of a projecting 
lump of sulphur to gain a safer foothold. There was an 
evident struggle who should get first to the top : for my 
own part, I reached it about the midst of the party, 
and, fairly exhausted with fatigue, dropped down full 
length on the crusted sulphur a little below the cone, so 
as to shelter myself from the keen and icy wind. The 
rest came toiling slowly up, assisted by the guides ; and 
just as day began to break, the whole body were as- 
sembled at the summit of Etna. 

The guides had timed the thing exactly. It was be- 
tween three and four ; the stars were rapid]y disappear- 
ing from the paling sky, while the eastern horizon began 
to faintly redden with the dawn. Those who have 
never witnessed, can scarcely realize by any description 
the strangeness of such a scene. Everything in the vast 
gulf below was dark and formless — the sea barely dis- 
tinguishable from the land — vast whitish clouds like 
wool-sacks floating solemnly above it. A few bars of 
.crimson soon appeared on the eastward horizon, the sea- 
line became defined, the jagged edges of the distant 
mountains of Apulia cut against the sky. At this 
moment our guides shouted to us to stand up on the 
edge of the crater, and look out over the interior of the 
island, which stretched away to the westward like a 



AN ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENON. 



163 



sea of ragged summits, blended in the shadowy mist of 
dawn. Just as the sun rose, an immense shadow of the 
most exquisite purple was projected from the volcano 




CRATER OF ETNA. 



half over the island, while without its range the light 
struck with magic suddenness upon the tops of the 
mountains below, a phenomenon so admirably beautiful 



164 THE DESERT REGION. 

that it would have more than repaid us for the labour 
of the ascent. 

The wind had now become so violent and penetrating 
that not one of us was able to make the circuit of the 
crater, or, indeed, to stand up to windward for more 
than a few moments together. The crater, however, so 
far as we could observe, is not in itself by any means so 
striking as that of Vesuvius. All the top of the moun- 
tain is heated, and little jets of steam shot up at inter- 
vals from the crevices of the yellow-crusted sulphur. 

The view from Etna proved rather different from 
what previous description had led me to anticipate. 
Vastness and dreary sublimity predominate, relieved with 
some few touches of exquisite beauty. Standing on the 
dread summit of the volcano, the eye takes in with 
astonishment the immense extent of the region, at once 
desolated and fertilized by its eruptions. Wide beds of 
lava — black, abrupt, and horrid — may be traced down 
its deep sinuosities and chasms, winding half concealed 
among the extensive forests below, even through the 
midst of the fertile region which reposes at its base, 
until they pour into the sea ; and interspersed with 
these are broad dismal beds of ashes and scorise, the 
seat of eternal desolation. Beneath the Bosco, and 
around the base of Etna, the boundary of the region 
subject to its effects may be distinctly traced. Beyond, 
in all directions, extend the fertile plains and mountains 



ERUPTIONS OF ETNA. 



1G5 



of the island, the latter, however, of an aspect little less 
wild and desolate than that of Etna itself. The range 
of the view is almost boundless, — Catania, Syracuse, 
and even, when clear, Malta itself are visible. Castro 
Giovanni stands up on its rock, conspicuous in the 
centre of the island. The expanse of sea is most 
magnificent, with the distant mountains of Calabria 
and Apulia, and the entrance to the Faro di Messina. 

Nearly eighty eruptions* of Etna are on record from 
the earliest historic times, and there are no doubt others 
which have escaped the chroniclers. The first men- 
tioned occurred in the time of Pythagoras, about the 
55th Olympiad; the second, under Geron, in B.C. 476; 
the third in 426 B.C. It was on the former of these 
occasions, as tradition tells us, that two brothers -(* fled, 
bearing on their shoulders their aged parents. The lava 
gained so rapidly upon them, that, encumbered as they 
were, escape seemed hopeless, when the burning torrent, 
as if respecting their filial piety, suddenly parted in two, 
and left them uninjured in the midst. Thucydides 
mentions an eruption that in his day overwhelmed the 
country of the Catanians which dwelt beneath ; this was 
said to have occurred fifty years after a previous out- 
break ; and three other instances were on record since the 
arrival of the Greeks in Sicily. Plato visited Sicily in 

* This number has probably been exceeded. A violent eruption occurred in Novem- 
ber 1808. 

t Amphinomus and Anapias, the " Pii Fratres " of Catania. 



1G6 



THE VAL DEL BOVE. 



the first instance to examine the mountain; and Adrian, 
who seems to have been the most persevering of ancient 
travellers, ascended the cone, like the moderns, to behold 
the sun rise from its summit. The old story, that Em- 
pedocles cast himself into the crater in order to acquire 
immortality, is held to be very doubtful, it being more 
probable that he fell in accidentally while pursuing his 
researches too closely. It has, however, furnished Mr. 
Matthew Arnold with a subject for one of his finest and 
most classical poems. 

The cold was so insupportable, and the wind so 
furious, that we were unable to dwell on this splendid 
spectacle as long as we could desire. One by one we 
began to descend the cone ; and, as at Vesuvius, leaning 
back upon our heels, and dashing through the loose 
ashes at railroad pace, we speedily regained the Casa 
degli Tnglesi, remounted our steeds, and turned our faces 
towards Nicolosi. Our guides made us diverge from the 
road to obtain a view of the Val del Bove, a profound 
circular chasm, 3000 to 4000 feet deep, exhibiting the 
most terrible volcanic phenomena, and perhaps the 
grandest feature of the whole scenery. They also 
pointed out to us the traditionary Torre di Filosofo. 
But to linger anywhere in the face of so cold a wind 
was impossible. We struck into a maze of hollows and 
ravines composed of loose ashes and scoriae, with tufts of 
scanty vegetation, and were utterly astonished to learn 



CIRCUIT OF THE MOUNTAIN. 



1C7 



that it was along this rugged and difficult way that we 
had ascended during the darkness of the previous night. 
The atmosphere, as we continued to descend, became 
gradually warmer, and when we reached the level of 
Nicolosi, seemed by contrast intolerably sultry and op- 
pressive. At length, outwearied with more than twelve 
hours' constant exertion and sudden changes of tempera- 
ture, we joyfully reached the inn at Nicolosi, and flung 
ourselves on our couches to obtain the repose which we 
so greatly needed ; and, after further recruiting our 
energies with such provisions as the place afforded, in 
the cool of the evening we returned to Catania. 

Our ascent to the summit of Etna had proved so 
agreeable, that we now resolved on hiring a caiTiage and 
making the tour of the mountain. Early in the morn- 
ing, having laid in a good stock of eatables and wine — 
for supplies on the road were understood to be very 
precarious — we started off upon our giro, taking the 
direct post road to Paterno (pop. 14,464). For some 
miles the ascent was very gradual, and, owing to the 
pulverized ashes and scoriae of which the road was 
formed, intolerably dusty. But the luxuriance of vege- 
tation which clothed this volcanic soil was unequalled ; 
Indian corn, orange and olive groves, almond, citron, and 
other fruit-trees, formed a perfect garden on each side of 
the road. 

But of all the vegetable productions of the lower zone 



168 



THE INDIAN FIG. 



of Etna, the Indian fig is perhaps the most prolific. It 
is propagated with the greatest care, and soon attains a 
prodigious growth. Nothing can look more hopeless at 
first than the appearance of one or two slips of this 
plant stuck in the midst of a wide bed of black and de- 
composed lava, yet it speedily strikes into the fissures, 
and puts forth its tangled branches, till they form an 
almost impenetrable maze. 

Each leaf is terminated by several bright crimson 
flowers, and afterward by as many of the figs, of which 
the natives are passionately fond. Even strangers, al- 
though they find them insipid at first, at length con- 
sume them with almost equal relish. My companions, 
if they chanced to meet a peasant woman carrying a 
basket of fresh -pulled figs to the market, invariably 
leaped out and made a dash at them. The woman 
stood by, rapidly and dexterously peeling off the rind at 
all but the lower end, as a street vendor opens and pre- 
sents his oysters ; and, truly, the fruit seemed to dis- 
appear down their gullets with the same celerity as the 
fish. I envied the gastronomic powers of my friends ; 
they seemed, like the Neapolitans with their macaroni, 
to have acquired by practice an extraordinary facility of 
swallowing, and no less vigorous power of digestion. On 
congratulating them, they modestly declared that the 
compliment was unmerited, that their own efforts were 
mere child's play to those of the natives ; and one of 



CASTLE OF PATERNO. 



109 



them assured me he had known an habitue at Catania 
who could dispose of as many as fifty of the fruit at 
one repast ! 

After .passing the village of Misterbianco, the scenery 
was strikingly beautiful. On the one hand towered 
Etna and its vast volcanic fields, covered with forests 
and gardens ; and, on the other, the feudal towers of 
Motta ; and next, on a bold projecting rock, the massive 
square keep and castle of Paterno, one of the earliest 
specimens of the architecture of the Normans in Sicily, 
the germ of which was built by Count Roger, in 1073, 
as a stronghold during his struggles with the Saracens, 
and afterwards enlarged and occupied by his descendants 
as a feudal residence. On entering the long straggling 
town, we obtained a striking view of the keep tower, 
which, in general form and character, resembled those of 
Rochester and London, and other works of the Normans 
in our own country and at the same period. 

As my companions possessed but little archaeological 
enthusiasm, they were unwilling to spare time for the 
examination of this ancient pile, and I therefore extract 
a few particulars concerning it from the work of Mr. 
Gaily Knight. 

" The keep is the only part of the castle which re- 
mains, and stands on the brink of the precipice. It is 
a huge oblong pile, very lofty, and perfect to the top. 
The walls are extremely thick, built of rubble with 



170 



AN ANCIENT KEEP. 




CASTLE OF PATERN6. 

ashlar coignes. The door, which seems to have been 
the original entrance, is small, on the second story, and 
was probably approached by a movable staircase. In 
the next story is a row of small double round-headed 
windows, divided by a single pillar. In the fourth 
story, at a very considerable height from the ground, is 
a large four- centred arch, containing within it two 
pointed arches divided by a column. The same ar- 
rangement of windows occurs on the opposite side of 



THE TOWN OF ADERNO. 



171 



tlie building. Having entered the keep by a modern 
door, we climbed up a narrow staircase, and found that 
the lower row of small windows lighted a long hall, with 
a stone pointed vault, without groinings. There are 
stone benches along the walls, small recesses between 
the windows, and at the upper end a large projecting 
fire-place. In the stone floor is an aperture, through 
which prisoners were probably let down into the dun- 
geons below. In this story are other vaulted rooms, 
one of which has some appearance of having been used 
as a chapel. 

" Ascending to the fourth story, we found a larger 
and loftier vaulted hall, running transversely through 
the building, from side to side, and lighted at each end 
by the windows contained in the pointed arches. Out 
of this hall open several small vaulted rooms, annexed 
to one of which is an oratory. All the doorways of 
these rooms are pointed. Ascending again, we went out 
upon the roof, which is flat, and has a parapet, affording 
a space where the female inmates of the castle might 
enjoy the refreshment of the evening breeze." 

After passing for some miles over lava beds in every 
stage of decomposition, some bare and dreary, some half- 
veiled with scattered patches of heath, and others bear- 
ing the richest masses of Indian fig and olive, we saw 
before us the town of Aderno, the ancient Adranum 
(pop. 12,222), adorned with another huge square keep, 



172 



NUNS AND NUNNERIES. 



also the work of the Normans. The first object that 
saluted our eyes on entering was the facade of the im- 
mense nunnery of Santa Lucia, upon the site of one 
founded by the Norman Countess Adelasia, in 1157. 
We stopped at the door of a most detestable hostelry, 
and had ample reason to congratulate ourselves upon the 
good things contained in our provision basket. Nothing 
certainly can exceed the filth and misery of these little 
Sicilian inns. Mr. Knight complains that, on taking up 
his quarters for the night at Paterno, " like Polonius in 
the play, he ate not, but was eaten." Happily, though 
we had to go further, we could not fare worse than this, 
and might hope for better accommodations at Bronte. 

While the horses were resting we took a stroll about 
the town, which turned out to be a perfect nest of con- 
vents and nunneries, originally founded by the Normans. 
Nothing was to be seen around but heavy walls, per- 
forated by grated windows, at which the pale face and 
white head-dress of the nuns furtively peeped out ; 
nothing to be heard but bells summoning them to the 
religious exercises that occupied the greatest part of their 
monotonous life. 

Probably four-fifths of the population of the town 
were composed of these pious personages, male and 
female, and the remainder, of a most wretched, lazy, 
degraded set of beings, living in dependence upon the 
convents, which possess large landed revenues. Nothing 



MASSES OF LAVA. 



173 



more depressing can possibly be imagined than such a 
hot-bed of pseudo-holiness. For ourselves, unworthy 
heretics, we felt this odour of sanctity too much for us, 
and were glad when the gloomy belfries and ponderous 
prison-houses of Aderno receded into the distance. 
Those who would see what the Papacy is when it puts 
its foot on the neck of a people, should come to a place 
like this and study it. Could its history be unfolded, 
the inner life of its victims be written, their struggles 
and sufferings laid bare, how dreary, how terrible would 
be the revelation ! 

From Catania to Aderno the road winds around the 
southern side of Etna. We now began to skirt its 
western, which is more abrupt, and displays but little of 
that luxurious vegetation and smiling appearance which 
had hitherto so much gratified us. On the contrary, the 
road to Bronte winds among immense beds of gray ashy 
lava, tufted with heath, and extending to the torrent 
below, which forms the limit of the volcanic region. 
Nothing in the world can be more desolate or forbidding. 
On approaching Bronte the road is cut through the tre- 
mendous mass of lava poured out by the last eruption, 
easily distinguishable from the older bed by the intense 
blackness of its colour, and the utter absence of vegeta- 
tion. It is, indeed, a fearful mass ; and looking up to 
the mountain which rises behind, its devastating course 
may be traced almost to the summit. A person who 



174 



ARRIVAL AT BRONTE. 



had witnessed the last eruption described this tremen- 
dous torrent of red-hot lava as it poured down the sinuo- 
sities of the mountain, sometimes accumulating by pres- 
sure into an overgrown mass, which, tumbling over in 
cascades of molten fire, pursued afresh its awful course 
towards the town of Bronte, which it threatened to 
overwhelm. 

This fearful anticipation was not, however, fulfilled. 
One of the most curious phenomena of this slope of Etna 
is the manner in which the torrents of lava seem 
abruptly to have stopped short, leaving certain fertile 
spots untouched, of which every advantage has been 
taken, and which are perfectly green with vineyards and 
olives. Thus smiling is the approach to the town of 
Bronte (pop. 11,629), which, on turning a corner, 
comes on the eye with startling effect, with its immense 
mass of rude houses, and churches, and convents, piled 
in the strangest confusion upon the mountain-side, and 
absolutely surrounded by lava beds, from which it seems 
to have escaped as if by miracle, as the inhabitants, of 
course, devoutly believe it did. 

Our carriage on entering the narrow streets could 
hardly move for the crowded population, who had 
gathered together on some festal occasion. 

There is no describing the wildness of their appear- 
ance ; tall, slender, and active mountaineers, dressed in 
black cloth and leggings, descended from a colony of 



A JOVIAL SUPPER. 



175 



Albanians. They stared at ns as at beings from another 
world, and we could scarcely push our way into the 
little inn, the basement of which was, as usual, designed 
for horses, and the upper story portioned into several 
wretched rooms, redolent of the stable odours below. 
Here my German friends found two of their compatriots 
from Messina, who had come thus far for a frolic ; and 
joyous was the recognition. After a long delay, neces- 
sary to prepare for so unusual a number of guests, the 
cloth, foul with the traces of former feasting, was laid, 
and, one by one, a set of knives and forks, all of them 
odd ones, adorned it, the production of which occasioned 
infinite merriment, each of them so rusty and stained 
that they looked as if they must have been the instru- 
ments of some midnight murder. The supper, however, 
to get up which no exertion had been spared, was, 
though roughly served, both copious and succulent. 
Our friends had brought with them some capital wine, 
and the mirth of the whole company was at its height, 
when the door was thrown open, and a band of Brontean 
musicians, without a word of notice, struck up some 
lively national airs, to which the Germans, gravely rising 
from their seats, began to waltz round the room in a 
style more energetic than elegant. The whole affair 
went off in the most jovial style, after which beds were 
made up in the four corners for four, and I tossed up 
with one of my comrades for the table and won it. 



176 



NELSON AND BRONTE. 



Considering the usual state of the walls and bedsteads, 
it seemed to be the most removed from the perils of a 
nocturnal attack ; but it is only just to our host to 
declare that our apprehensions of a fate similar to Mr. 
Gaily Knight's were, in this instance, unfounded. On 
the contrary, and with an emphasis, we " ate, and were 
not eaten." 

This strangest of all possible places gave a dukedom, 
in 1799, to Lord Nelson, who always subscribed himself 
"Nelson and Bronte;" and considerable estates, pre- 
sented to him by the King of Naples, are still in the 
possession of his descendants, and managed by their Eng- 
lish agent. Their annual revenue is estimated at nearly 
£3000. 

Bronte (i. e., "Thunder"), as before said, is on the 
slope of Etna, at the bottom of which lies a deep valley, 
and on the opposite side rise lofty, dreary mountains. 
Embosomed in their depths are the Convent of Maniace 
and the Cathedral of Traina, which, with the Convent 
of St. Elias of Ambula, were among the numerous foun- 
dations of the great Count Roger the Norman. 

Leaving Bronte at an early hour, we continued our 
road, which coasted the northern side of Etna, and pre- 
sented a new and very delightful phase of scenery. 
Extensive woods of oak and chestnut clothed the flanks 
of the mountain, and overshadowed the way, but still 
the predominant element is never long out of sight, and 



A SCENE OF BEAUTY. 



177 



beds of ancient lava intervene here and there all the way 
to Randazzo. Randazzo (pop. 6342) is like a town of 
the middle ages preserved as a curiosity, with its gloomy 
walls overhanging a ravine, — its Norman churches and 
streets of coeval architecture subsisting almost unaltered 
to the present day. 

From Randazzo the country gradually opens, and dis- 
plays the same rich and beautiful features as the district 
around Catania. 

After passing Lingua Grossa, a scene of extraordinary 
beauty, a lovely scene indeed, broke upon us : the sea 
in the distance — the slope of the mountain covered with 
vines — the rich plain at its base : quite a magic change 
after the dreary lava-beds over which we had been toil- 
ing. Giardini lay below us on the sunny shore — our 
destined resting-place for the night. Altogether we were 
well satisfied to have encircled the mighty volcano, and 
formed an adequate idea (as it is only possible to do by 
such a journey) of the immensity of the region at once 
desolated and fertilized by its influence, — its prolific 
vegetation, its awful lava-beds, its dense forests, its anti- 
quated towns, and its wild population. But enough of 
dust and ashes ; we were by this time heartily sick of 
volcanic phenomena, and so we have no doubt are our 
readers also. 



(212; 



111 



CHAPTER V. 



LEONTINI — MAGNISI, THE ANCIENT THAPST7S — SYRACUSE — ITS HISTORY— GELON, ITS 

RULER SIEGE OF SYRACUSE — DEFEAT OP THE ATHENIANS — CARTHAGINIAN 

INVASION DIONYSIUS THE ELDER— STORY OP PLATO — DIONYSIUS THE SECOND — 

TIMOLEON OP CORINTH SIEGE OP SYRACUSE BY THE ROMANS UNDER MARCELLUS 

ITS HEROES — ST. PAUL — CATHEDRAL AND CASTLE OP SYRACUSE — THE GREEK 

THEATRE — THE LATOMIA, OR QUARRIES THE " EAR OF DIONYSIUS " — TOMB OF 

ARCHIMEDES — EXTENT OF THE ANCIENT CITY VIEW FROM FORT LABDALUS 

SOME POINTS OP INTEREST JOURNEY TO GIRGENTI — INCONVENIENCES OF SICILIAN 

TRAVEL THE PIUMARA TERRANOVA 

?N leaving Catania for Syracuse, after clearing 
the district of lava we traversed a rich and 
fertile but nevertheless melancholy -looking 
plain, and crossing the river Simeto at a 
ferry, in the evening reached Lentini, at 
which wretched town (pop. 7962), infamous for the 
malaria generated by the neighbouring marshy lake, we 
were reluctantly compelled to remain for the night. 
Above this place was the ancient Leontini, inhabited by 
the Lsestrygones, whence the neighbouring fields were 
denominated the Campi Lsestrygonii. It was also the 
birth-place of the philosopher Gorgias. The next day's 
journey lay over a rough tract, interspersed with a wild 




APPROACH TO MESSINA. 



179 



growth of oleander and scented myrtle, while tufts of 
flowering plants start up from the crevices of the rocks, 
as they do on all the sea-coast of Sicily. Some distance 
on the Left was the fortified town of Augusta, or Agosta 
(pop. 10,500), having a good harbour, but now become 
a lifeless melancholy place. 

It was drawing to the close of a warm summer evening 
that we approached Syracuse, passing Magnisi, the site 
of Thapsus, mentioned by Virgil and Ovid, and entering 
the famous city by the Scala Graeca. Our path lay 
across the rocky ground which was formerly the quarter 
of Acradina. Tombs cut in the crags and traces of foun- 
dations were all around ; but hyacinths and wild plants 
started from the crevices of the cliff which once was a 
crowded quarter of the city, but where now no sound 
arose but that of our mules clattering over the stony 
track. Beyond lay the island of Ortygia, covered by 
the modern town. On the nearer side was the smaller 
port, and on the further the great harbour, so often the 
scene of naval conflict — a placid sheet of water, now 
occupied only by a few insignificant barks. There was 
an air of decay over the scene, beautiful as it was, pro- 
ducing an involuntary melancholy, increased on entering 
the town, by the appearance of the streets and popula- 
tion, who seem to vegetate in indolence, filth, and 
wretchedness. Our satisfaction was great at finding so 
good an inn (classically called " Locanda del Sole ") in 



180 



HISTORICAL SUMMARY. 



so miserable a place. The proprietor is also a wine 
merchant ; for, amidst the wreck of all beside, the wines 
of Syracuse have still maintained somewhat of their 
original reputation. It is suggested by a friend that 
" the broken pottery in Alexandria, the remains of the 
jars in which the wine was imported, tell us that the 
greater part of it was brought in jars made in Rhodes ; 
and as no good wine, and very little, was made in that 
island, and the same broken jars are found in Sicily, we 
iufer that the jars were made in Rhodes, filled in Sicily, 
and the wine drunk in Alexandria under the Ptolemies." 

It is not our intention to weary the reader with a 
prolix description of the monuments of Syracuse, which 
are for the most part either obliterated or insignificant, 
but to confine these notices to a few of the most promi- 
nent objects. The map will display, better than any de- 
scription, the site of the ancient city and the immense 
extent of its walls, the greater and lesser harbours, and 
the different quarters into which it was divided. 

Of Syracuse, the most magnificent of all the Grecian 
colonies, and which far exceeded in size any in the 
parent country, the foundation has been already noticed ; 
and it so rapidly increased in wealth and population as 
to throw off numerous colonies, and become the most 
powerful of the Sicilian states. It attained the summit 
of glory under Gelon, at the period of the war between 
the Greeks and Persians (B.C. 485—478). The former, 



BATTLE OF H1MEKA. 



181 




MAP OF SYRACUSE. 



menaced by an overwhelming force, sent to implore the 
succour of Gelon, upon which the Persians instigated the 
Carthaginians to the invasion of Sicily ; having overrun 
the interior on the 1st of August, of the 75th Olympiad 
(B.C. 480). They appeared before Syracuse with a power- 
ful army ; but on the memorable field of Himera, were 
routed with immense slaughter on the same day that the 
hosts of Xerxes were defeated by Miltiades and his Greeks 
at Salamis. The magnanimous Gelon permitted the dis- 
comfited Carthaginians to return to their own country, 
on the sole condition that they should send two vessels 



182 



THE INTOXICATION OF POWER. 



as a testimony of their gratitude and abolish the hor- 
rible practice of immolating human victims to Neptune ; 
the noblest treaty of peace, as Montesquieu observes, 
recorded in history — Gelon, after having defeated three 
hundred thousand Carthaginians, imposes a condition 
useful only to themselves, or rather, one in behalf of 
humanity at large. The Syracusans now showed their 
gratitude by raising Gelon to the sovereign power. He 
appeared before the council unarmed, and his naked per- 
son invested in a cloak, in order, as he said, that auy one 
might slay him who could accuse him of having done 
injury to his country. With one voice the people pro- 
claimed him king. After his death he received divine 
honours, which were annually maintained to the last 
hours of Syracusan freedom. Hieron, his successor, pro- 
tected the arts and letters, and numbered Simonides, 
Pausanias, iEschylus, and Pindar among his friends. 

Although divided by faction, and at times oppressed 
by her rulers, Syracuse continued to increase ; and be- 
tween this city and Agrigentum arose a rivalry, which 
of them should carry the arts and sciences to the highest 
pitch. Intoxicated with power, the Syracusans now 
meditated the subjection of all the rest of Sicily. They 
oppressed the subject cities with heavier taxes. Among 
these was Leontini, whose inhabitants sent ambassadors 
to seek for assistance from Athens. The Athenians, fired 
with the ambition of conquering Sicily, were easily insti- 



SIEGE OF SYRACUSE. 



183 



gated by Alcibiades, notwithstanding the objections of 
Nicias and the more prudent generals, to dispatch a 
powerful force against Syracuse. After some prelimi- 
nary hostilities, which ended in a temporary peace, a fresh 
opportunity arose from the invitation of the Segestans. 
In the second year of the 91st Olympiad (b.c. 415), a 
splendid fleet sailed out of the harbour of the Piraeus, to 
besiege Syracuse, under the command of Nicias and 
Alcibiades. It was soon found that little aid could be 
expected from the Segestans, and Nicias advised that, 
after enforcing a peace between that people and the 
Selinuntines, they should return to Athens. Alcibiades, 
however, overruled this opinion, and the Athenians, 
after vainly attempting to make allies of the Catanians 
and Messenians, prepared to undertake the siege. At 
this period Alcibiades was recalled to Athens to answer 
the charge of having defaced the statues of the gods. 
Condemned to death, he replied, that he would find 
means of showing them that he was alive. He fled to 
Sparta, whither the Syracusans had sent to implore 
assistance, and, stung with revenge, exerted himself as 
strenuously to relieve Syracuse as he had instigated the 
Athenians to attack it. 

At that time Syracuse had extended far beyond the 
island of Ortygia to which it had been originally con- 
fined, and had spread over the ground to the north- 
ward, where a second quarter, called Acradina, had been 



184 



DEFEAT OF THE ATHENIANS. 



added, and beyond that, on the high ground, the Epi- 
poise. The Athenians proceeded to invest the whole 
city with a wall, a plan which the Syracusans attempted 
to defeat by running out others across them, so as to 
intercept the communication. Nevertheless, the Syra- 
cusans were so closely pressed that they were about to 
treat for peace, when Gylippus unexpectedly arrived 
from Sparta with powerful succours. Nicias now began 
in his turn to be so distressed, that he wrote to Athens 
either to withdraw the array or to send reinforcements, 
requesting at the same time to be relieved from the 
command. 

In the following spring, Demosthenes was sent with 
fresh ships and succours. Hitherto the struggle had 
been carried on chiefly by land : the great harbour now 
became the scene of obstinate conflict, where the Syra- 
cusan and Athenian galleys encountered each other with 
varying success. At length the Athenian fleet was 
utterly defeated ; and the triumphant Syracusans closed 
up the mouth of the harbour, to prevent the escape of 
their enemies. In this fearful position, the Athenians 
had no alternative but to force the passage, or to burn 
their ships and endeavour to escape by land. Accord- 
ingly, they got ready one hundred and ten vessels, and 
rowed for the mouth of the harbour, the Syracusans and 
Corinthians following them. The Athenians at first 
drove back their pursuers, and had begun to remove 



A TERRIBLE CALAMITY. 



185 



the vessels, when the battle became general, and was 
disputed with extraordinary fury. The Athenians were 
aware that their lives depended upon the cast, the Syra- 
cusans that their enemies were almost in their power. 
Cries of encouragement or grief broke from the Athenian 
troops as the struggle alternated ; but when, at length, 
the whole of their fleet was seen making for the shore, 
one fearful yell of despair arose. Nothing now remained 
but a disastrous retreat ; and leaving the dead unburied, 
and the sick and wounded to the mercy of the enemy, 
Nicias and Demosthenes fled with their disorganized 
army towards Catania. At the river Asinarus, they 
were overtaken by Gylippus, and compelled to surrender 
at discretion. The Spartan general wished to save the 
lives of Nicias and Demosthenes, but in vain. The two 
commanders were put to death, and the wretched 
prisoners, seven thousand in number, imprisoned among 
the damp and gloomy quarries, where many of them 
perished miserably. The rest, after seventy days, were 
sold for slaves. It is said that some who escaped after- 
wards waited on the tragic poet Euripides, and assured 
him that by singing snatches of his verses they had often 
obtained kind treatment at the hands of the Sicilians. 

Amidst the exultation caused by this remarkable deli- 
verance, the Syracusans were menaced by a second in- 
vasion of the Carthaginians. After the defeat of the 
Greeks, the Selinuntines continued so bitterly to oppress 



THE TYRANT DIONYSIUS. 



the Segestans, that the latter implored the succour of 
these dangerous allies. Selinunte and Agrigentum were 
taken, and the whole island was overrun by the victo- 
rious Carthaginians. At this crisis arose another deli- 
verer, the famous Dionysius. He declared war against 
Carthage, unless she would consent to a total evacuation 
of Sicily; and when the Carthaginians, with an immense 
force, again appeared in the harbour and before the walls, 
he routed them with immense slaughter; and though 
unable to expel them from the island, succeeded in pre- 
serving the liberties of Syracuse (B.C. 396). 

This extraordinary man, who had to overawe a turbu- 
lent democracy, is represented as despotic and cruel, yet 
was of a generous and princely nature, delighting in 
philosophy and the arts. Great as a warrior, he had a 
mania for poetizing, his chief ambition being to cany off 
the prize at the Olympic games ; and although the 
people hissed his verses, he persevered till one of his 
tragedies had obtained the prize. He invited Plato, who 
had come to ascend Etna, to visit him, but their good un- 
derstanding was but of short duration. The conversation 
turning one day on the tyrannide, the philosopher boldly 
pronounced it to be incompatible with virtue. " You 
speak like a madman," said Dionysius. " And you like 
a tyrant," retorted Plato, who was immediately sent 
back to Greece. 

Nor was the philosopher more fortunate in shaping the 



PLATO AND DION. 



187 



character of his successor, Dionysius II. Dion, the friend 
of Plato, of the popular party, and adorned with every 
noble quality, was at first the confidant and guide of 
the young monarch, and at his suggestion the philo- 
sopher was invited to Syracuse. A. public festival 
honoured his arrival, and Dionysius, whose manners 
were revoltingly dissolute, affected to be enamoured of 
the Platonic philosophy. But the enemies of Dion 
poisoning his ear, he treacherously seized and banished 
him to Greece. Plato demanded his recall ; the tyrant 
temporized, and the indignant philosopher returned home. 
He was a second time invited, on an express promise 
that Dion should be restored to his country, but the 
tyrant was false to his promise a second time, and the 
philosopher took his final leave of Sicily. Dionysius 
now showed his enmity to Dion by seizing his property 
and ill-treating his relations, until the banished noble- 
man, who had been received with the highest honours 
in Greece, had no alternative but to return with a body 
of auxiliaries and vindicate his rights. He was warmly 
received by the popular party, and Dionysius was com- 
pelled to take refuge in the citadel. A revolution broke 
out. Democracy triumphed (B.C. 356), and the eyes of 
Greece were fixed upon Dion, who shortly fell, too noble 
a victim, by a revulsion of that popular caprice which 
had so suddenly raised him to the summit of power. 
Dionysius, freed from restraint, now gave such loose 



188 



THE PATRIOT TIMOLEON. 



to his passions, that the best of the Syracusans fled to 
Corinth, and implored deliverance from his yoke, while 
at the same time Iceta had invited the Carthaginians to 
reconquer Sicily. The noble Timoleon was sent for the 
deliverance of Syracuse and of Sicily. He expelled the 
invaders ; and as Syracuse, owing to its desolating feuds, 
had become so depopulated that the grass grew in its 
principal streets, he restored the fugitive Syracusans 
scattered throughout Greece, with other colonists, to 
re-establish themselves in their original home. The 
Carthaginians again returning to Sicily, he defeated 
them in a great battle, put down the other tyrants of 
Sicily, engaged the different cities in one common league, 
and invited large colonies of Grecians to infuse fresh 
blood into the desolated country, which rapidly regained 
its former splendour. After this glorious career he sur- 
rendered his authority, and retiring to a beautiful villa 
near Syracuse, the gift of the people, ended his days as 
a private citizen, the Washington of the ancient world. 

The republic left by Timoleon was speedily overthrown 
by Agathocles, who usurped the reins of government 
(B.C. 317) — an extraordinary man, of whom we know 
not whether most to admire the daring heroism or 
detest the atrocious cruelty. The Carthaginians again 
invading Sicily, Agathocles adopted the daring idea of 
carrying the war over into Africa. His brilliant but 
sanguinary career was cut short by death. 



DOWNFAL OF SYEACUSE. 



189 



A century later, and Syracuse became involved in the 
life-and-death struggle between Rome and Carthage. 
The democratic faction, carried away by the successes of 
Hannibal in Italy, embraced the cause of the Cartha- 
ginians, and the Roman general Marcellus was sent to 
besiege Syracuse (B.C. 214). He invested it at once by 
land and sea. Lashing his five-banked galleys together, 
he erected wooden towers upon them to attack the 
walls of Acradina ; but Archimedes, the most famous 
mechanist of the age, was in the city, and by his pro- 
digious resources rendered abortive all the efforts of its 
assailants. He contrived huge machines, like iron hands, 
which dropped from the walls, grappled the fore part of 
the Roman ships, and let them fall into the sea, and set 
others on fire by concentrating burning-glasses upon 
them. The siege was turned into a blockade. The 
Carthaginians, who had arrived to succour the Syracu- 
sans, encamping in the marshy valley of the Anapus, were 
fearfully reduced by a pestilential fever. Marcellus, 
taking advantage of a festival, surprised the Epipolse 
(b.c. 212). The Carthaginian fleet returned to Africa, 
and the besieged were about to capitulate on honourable 
terms, when the troops of Marcellus were admitted within 
the walls by the treachery of the Syracusan mercenaries. 
The generous Roman is said to have wept over the fate 
of the city, which he was unable to preserve from pillage. 
He gave special orders to spare the life of Archimedes ; 



190 



LATER INCIDENTS. 



but a soldier, -unacquainted with his person, rushed in 
and killed him while deeply engaged in a geometrical 
problem, to the great regret of Marcellus, who treated 
his remains with funeral honours, and erected to his 
memory a splendid tomb. 

Thus fell, at length, under the all-absorbing sway of 
Rome, this great and glorious city, which for upwards of 
five centuries, amidst all the changes of government and 
the ravages of faction, had continued to increase and 
flourish. Besides giving birth to a long list of illustrious 
men, the court of its rulers was often the resort of the 
most famous philosophers and poets of Greece. Theo- 
critus, Bion, and Moschus, the Greek pastoral poets, 
were Sicilian, though Theocritus dwelt chiefly in Alex- 
andria. Art, science, and agriculture were in the highest 
state of perfection ; and it is said by Polybius, that the 
Romans first acquired a taste for sculpture by seeing the 
precious works of art which, after the sack, were carried 
away from Syracuse to adorn the metropolis of the victors. 

Syracuse was still an important and populous city 
when the ship which bore St. Paul from Melita to 
Puteoli put into the harbour and tarried there three 
days, bringing, probably, the first tidings of Christianity 
to Sicily. With the decline of the Empire it fell into 
decay — was the seat of an Emir under the Saracens 
(A.D. 878-1038)— till, finally, the Emperor Charles V., 
demolishing its outworks, surrounded the island of 



ANTIQUITIES OF SYRACUSE. 191 

Ortygia with strong fortifications ; and thus, at the 
present day, after the revolutions of ages, the city is 
confined to the same narrow limits occupied by its ori- 
ginal colonists. 

In surveying the few remains of Syracuse, let us turn 
first to the antiquities comprised within the modern 
town. Of the famous temple of Diana there remain but 
insignificant vestiges. The modern cathedral occupies 
the site of the temple of Minerva, and its northern side 
exhibits a range of noble Doric columns. The building 
was entire till after the Norman conquest, but the roof 
fell in the year 1100, during the celebration of mass, 

and crushed the congregation. The famous fountain of 
© © 

the nymph Arethusa, one of the Sicelides, transformed 
into this stream by Diana, and the patron goddess of 
the Sicilians, formerly filled with shoals of sacred fishes, 
has, alas ! degenerated into a washing-tank, frequented 
by the nymphs of modern Syracuse, whose manners and 
aspect are the very reverse of poetical. The Castle, 
which occupies the extreme point of the island, is gene- 
rally attributed to the Byzantine general, Maniaces ; but 
the great hall and portal are supposed by Mr. Knight to 
be the work of the Normans. In this castle died the 
famous Dutch admiral De Ruyter, after his engagement 
with the French under Duquesne ; and in the harbour 
Lord Nelson watered his fleet before sailing in pursuit of 
the French at Aboukir. 



192 



THE AMPHITHEATRE. 



Sallying out of the town, we enter upon a partially 
cultivated tract, formerly the quarter of Neapolis, built 
after Ortygia and Acradina. The first monument that 
attracts attention is the Amphitheatre, which is in a 
tolerably perfect state, but of dimensions far too limited 
(230 feet by 130 feet) for the teeming population of the 
city in its most palmy days, and attributed with reason 
to the period of its decadence under the Romans. 




THEATRE OF SYRACUSE. 



Not far distant is the Greek theatre, entitled " maxi- 
mum " by Cicero, and the largest in all Sicily. Here 



A MONUMENT OF ART. 



103 



the aged Timoleon harangued the citizens of the revived 
republic, and here also the popular assemblies were held 
in the time of Agathocles. Its origin is very ancient. 
It is of horse-shoe form, about 116 feet in diameter, 
and would accommodate 24,000 spectators. It stands 
on rocky, rising ground, out of which it is partly 
hewn ; and the view over the ancient city must, in its 
pristine splendour, have been truly magnificent. Con- 
nected with this theatre is an aqueduct, constructed 




THE PRISONS. 

by Carthaginian prisoners. We now ascend to the 
Tyche and Epipolse by a picturesque path cut through 
WJ 13 



194 



THE SYRACUSAN QUARRIES. 



the solid rock ; on the right of which is the NymphaBuui, 
supplied by the above-mentioned aqueduct, while each 
of the rocky walls is delved into small sepulchres. 

Not far hence are the Latomia, or the quarries from 
which the ancient city was built, presenting a series of 
strikingly picturesque scenes, like natural caverns with 
hanging stalactites, supported upon slender pillars, and 
vividly reflected in pools of water, but at present occu- 
pied as a rope- walk. They were formerly used as 
prisons ; but whether the one generally shown is the 
same in whose dank unwholesome air perished so many 
of the unhappy Athenian prisoners seems doubtful ; some 
antiquaries, from Greek inscriptions found there, sup- 
posing those nearer the Capuchin convent to be the 
scene of their incarceration. Connected with these is 
the extraordinary spot called the " Ear of Dionysius." 
This excavation is nearly seventy feet in height, gradu- 
ally tapering to a point, from which a narrow channel 
serves as a conductor of sound to a small chamber near 
the top of the rock. In this the Syracusan tyrant, as is 
said, with but little probability, was accustomed to post 
himself, and listen to the conversation of the prisoners 
confined below. The only access at present to the 
chamber is by means of a rope and chair, which were 
made use of by H.RH. the Prince of Wales on his visit 
to Syracuse. Undoubtedly the conversation of persons 
standing below is quite audible. Mrs. Starke affirms 



EAR OF DIOXYSIUS. 



195 




196 



TOMB OF ARCHIMEDES. 



is as loud as that of a cannon-ball. Whisperings, how- 
ever, are said to be entirely inaudible. The cavern 
below winds sinuously into the rock to the depth of 2 1 
feet, and is furnished with a small bath. 

Another very picturesque quarry lies near the Capuchin 
convent. This deep excavation is now rendered a deli- 
cious place of resort, being filled with the most luxuriant 
vegetation imaginable. 

When Cicero was qusestor in Sicily, he discovered the 
tomb of Archimedes, by its mathematical inscription : — 

" 'Twas ever thus. As now at Virgil's tomb 
We bless the shade, and bid the verdure bloom ; 
So Tully paused, amid the wrecks of time, 
On the rude stone to trace the truth sublime, 
When at his feet, in honoured dust disclosed, 
The immortal Sage of Syracuse reposed ! *' 

Rogers, Pleasures of Memory. 

The traditional tomb of the great mathematician is 
still to be seen, but the best Sicilian antiquaries place 
but little confidence in its authenticity. 

The real size of many famous cities is rendered doubt- 
ful by the destruction of their walls; but we have ocular 
proof of the immense extent of Syracuse in the remains 
of its outer circuit of fortifications. It is quite a long 
ride from the modern town to the extremity of the 
ancient city. Passing up the Street of Tombs, we come 
upon the high ground of the Epipolre, the last part of 



THE OUTER FORTIFICATIONS. 



197 



the city, after the siege by the Athenians, enclosed. It 
was here, according to Diodorus, that Dion y si as, when 
threatened by the Carthaginians, caused a wall seven 
miles long to be erected in twenty days, by the combined 
labours of six thousand masons, two hundred peasants, 
six thousand oxen, a great number of stone-cutters, and 
an overseer to every acre. Be this as it may, the extent 
of this outer wall is surprising; and in some places it is 
nine feet thick, and very solidly constructed. Every 
atom of what it formerly enclosed is vanished, except 
traces of foundations and wheel-tracks deeply worn in 
the rock. Here are shown memorials of the famous 
sieges; the spots where the Athenians attacked the city 
by means of building a wall, which the Syracusans 
destroyed by night, and the very breach by which the 
soldiers of Marcellus surprised the Epipoke. Here, too, 
is to be seen a quarry, the Latomia del Filosofo, where 
Dionysius imprisoned Philoxenus of Cythera, the dithy- 
iambic poet, for not admiring his verses. At the extreme 
point of the long ridge stood Fort Labdalus, the strongest 
in all the city. Here, seated upon one of the huge 
square blocks, luxuriantly overgrown with wild-flowers, 
which would form the pride of an English conservatory, 
we can trace the wall running above the rich, but un- 
wholesome, valley of the Anapus, which proved so fatal 
to the Carthaginians, down to the* little island of Ortygia, 
the original nucleus, as it is now the sole remaining por- 



198 



A GOLDEN MANTLE. 



tion of the immense city, of which, but for the evidence 
of its walls, the very existence may well seem doubtful. 
The great harbour, so often the scene of conflict, expands — 
a sheet of placid silver — in the distance; and on the 
bare barren point opposite to Ortygia was pitched the 
camp of Nicias and Demosthenes, from whence they com- 
menced their terrible retreat. Such once was Syracuse. 
No mounds like those of Egypt and Assyria cover the 
site of its palaces and temples; its very dust seems 
swept away, and the rocky soil restored to the wild 
beauty of primitive nature. 

There are a few other objects worthy the attention of 
travellers, such as the river Anapus, upon whose marshy 
banks still flourishes the papyrus, supposed originally to 
have been sent from Egypt by Ptolemy Philadelphus as 
a present to King Hiero, and from which paper has been 
made by Signor Politi, the most accomplished cicerone in 
Syracuse: some scanty ruins of the temple of Jupiter, 
whence Dionysius stole the mantle of gold which covered 
the shoulders of the tutelary deity, observing that the 
Son of Saturn had a garment too heavy for summer and 
too cold for winter, and should, therefore, be provided 
with one made of woollen cloth, fit for both seasons. 
This statue was finally purloined by the rapacious 
Verres. The catacombs beneath the Church of St. 
John well deserve a visit, being a complete subter- 
ranean city, with avenues branching off in different 



THE JOURNEY RESUMED. 



199 



directions, containing a vast number of sepulchral niches 
and chambers. 

Few travellers, however, will be inclined to protract 
their stay in so dreary and sickly a place as modern 
Syracuse: and after devoting a day or two to the exami- 
nation of the antiquities, we prepared to continue our 
journey. As the carnage road does not extend beyond 

J 




A LETTIGA. 

Syracuse, and there is only a mule path to Girgenti, and 
thence nearly all the way to Palermo, a journey of about 
a fortnight, it became necessary to decide whether to hire 
a lettiga or to ride. The former is just the ancient 



travellers' precautions. 



lectica, or modern sedan, carried by a couple of stout 
mules, with a pyramid of jingling bells; a lazy drowsy 
sort of conveyance, fit only for women, invalids, and 
priests. I preferred to hire mules, under the care of a 
muleteer well recommended to me, and who did justice 
to his recommendation. Had I been better acquainted 
with the miserable accommodations of the inns, I should 
have added a tent, mattress, and bedding, and a small 
stock of provisions, just, in fact, as if travelling in Pales- 
tine; though with a single muleteer this would have 
proved a little difficult and expensive. A party, how- 
ever, should always do so, as it renders them indepen- 
dent, and enables them to choose their ground; but they 
must be on their guard against malaria. Every one, too, 
should provide himself with a pair of sheets, sewed 
together on all sides but one, and drawn with strings 
like a bag, and in this tie himself up at night, so that 
the vermin cannot get at him. 

Among the other annoyances of Sicilian travel are the 
numerous fiumara, or water-courses, which descend from 
the mountains into the sea. Even on the line of car- 
riage-road, it is often impossible to bridge them over, 
from their immense width, and the mass of stones and 
debris that they hurry down in their headlong course. 
In the drought of summer they are for the most part 
dry and practicable; but in stormy weather the traveller's 
carriage is often arrested in the midst of one of these 



WHAT IS A FIUMAEA ? 



201 



shallow but furious torrents; the baggage has to be 
taken off, and the passengers, male or female, precari- 
ously earned pick-a-back through the foaming waters and 
deposited on dry land, while the driver, up to his middle, 
by dint of whipping, and yelling, and pushing the wheels 




A F1U3LAKA. 



behind, succeeds in working his vehicle across the miry 
stream. 

In the wilder parts of the island, where there is merely 
a mule-track and but few bridges, the horseman is some- 
times kept waiting for a day or two at a miserable flea- 
bitten hovel, until some swollen torrent has sufficiently 
subsided to allow him to ford it with safety. 

These fiumara occur, of course, chiefly during the 
heavy rains, between the months of November and 



202 



NOCTUKNAL ANNOYANCES. 



March. Far more formidable visitations are the water- 
spouts, to which Sicily is often subject. One of these 
terrible visitations occurred a few years ago in the neigh- 
bourhood of Palermo, and occasioned a fearful loss of 
life and destruction of property. 

I shall spare the reader a detailed account of our pro- 
gress from Syracuse to Girgenti, in which we obtained 
full proof of the backward condition of the interior of the 
island. Suffice it to say that we passed the first night 
at Palazzolo (pop. 10,138), the second at Biscari (pop. 
3000), and the third at Terranova (pop. 11,000). The 
first was bad, the second worse, but the third so utterly 
insupportable, that to escape the onslaught of the vermin, 
I ordered the mules in the middle of the night, and de- 
parted. No sooner on horseback, however, than the 
sense of fatigue returns with increased force, and one 
rides on half asleep, and at every moment ready to drop, 
until the rising sun awakens a forced and feverish acti- 
vity; and so one goes forward the whole day under the 
blazing heat. Well might San cho exclaim, " Blessed is 
the man that invented sleep !" The converse is here 
the case, and one can only utter impotent maledictions 
at those who are skilled in murdering it, and envy in 
vain that happy insensibility of hide to which the natives 
have at length attained. Neither is one indemnified for 
want of sleep by the abundance and delicacy of provi- 
sions, since, for the most part, these filthy caravansaries 



A LONELY ROAD. 



203 



are entirely destitute. The traveller is reduced to 
forage for himself; and if he obtain a little bread, and 
eggs, and a bottle of decent wine to wash it down with, 
may consider himself exceedingly fortunate. 

Terranova is supposed to occupy the site of the ancient 
Gela, and it was in the neighbouring fields that iEschylus, 
as it is said, met his death by the fall of a tortoise upon 
his head (b. c. 456). Neither this place, nor Licata 
(pop. 15,718), nor Palma (pop. 11,879), which succeed 
to it, presents, at the present day, any object of the 
slightest interest. The track is very solitary, and it is 
but rarely that the passenger falls in with anything but 
a flock of silken-haired goats, and a shepherd wrapped in 
his huge brown cloak and sheepskin leggings. But the 
wild heaths over which the road passes are fragrant with 
myrtle, and in the season of spring the whole face of the 
country is enamelled with hyacinths. Through scenery 
thus wildly pleasing, the traveller, after a long and 
wearisome pilgrimage, comes at length in sight of the 
white walls of Girgenti "la Magnifica" (pop. 16,412). 



CHAPTEK VI. 

GIRGENTI, THE ANCIENT AGRIGENTUM — ITS SITUATION — ITS RUINS — niSTORY Of 

AGRIGENTUM ITS SYBARITE CITIZENS THE WEALTHY GELLIAS - CAPTURE BY 

THE CARTHAGINIANS, AND DESTRUCTION OF THE CITY SEVEN MONTHS' SIEGE BY 

THE ROMANS THE RUPE ATENEA TEMPLE OF JUNO LUCINA ANECDOTE OF 

ZEUXIS — TEMPLE OF CONCORD TEMPLES OF JUPITER, HERCULES, AND JESCU- 

LATIUS — THE SO-CALLED TOMB OF THERON ANCIENT MEMORIALS JOURNEY TO 

PALEKMO — SCTACCA — " YINTT-QUATTRO" — THE THERMS S ELINUNTL/E — A VOL- 
CANIC ISLAND — RUINS OF SELINUNTE — "i P1LIERI DE' GIGANTl" — CASTELVET- 

RANO — CALATAFIMI TEMPLE OF SEGESTE HISTORY OF SEGESTE — ITS RISE AND 

FALL — THE THEATRE MOUNT ERYX, AND VENUS ERYCINA ALCAMO. 

approaching the ancient Agrigentum, the eye 
takes in at a glance its noble and happily 
chosen situation. It stood on an immense 
platform, everywhere defended by precipitous 
rocks, the highest part 1200 feet above the 
sea, about two miles distant, of which, and all the sur- 
rounding country, it commands a magnificent prospect. 
Perhaps, before giving a brief description of its monu- 
ments, it may be better to explain its topography by 
means of a map, to which the reader may afterwards 
turn for elucidation of the details. By referring to 
this it will be seen that the principal temples range 
along the edge of the southern and eastern cliff, while 




POSITION OF GIRGENTI. 205 

the site of the modern town, occupying the extreme 
summit, was the Acropolis of the ancient city of the 
Greeks. 

The mule-path from Palma, leading over wild heaths, 




TEMPLES OF JUNO LUCINA AND CONCORD. 



bright with patches of flowers, crosses the little river 
Biaggio, and clambering up the abrupt face of the rock, 



20G 



GLIMPSES OF SCENERY. 



enters the city near one of the ancient gates. This is 
the point of view chosen for the annexed illustration. 
The roofless temple of Juno Luciua, and that of Concord, 
still in a state of complete preservation, stand on the 
edge of the rock, connected by the city wall, which for- 
merly swept round the brink of the still loftier precipice 
up to the Rupe Atenea and the Acropolis, now occupied 
by the clustering white buildings of the mediaeval and 
modern town. This, of course, includes but a mere corner 
of the ancient city, which, it is reported, was several 
miles in circumference, and had a population of 200,000 
souls. 

Threading the zigzag path which surmounts the preci- 
pice, we traversed what was formerly the interior of the 
city, now covered with luxuriant groves of fig, orange, 
and olive. Our visit took place in the middle of Febru- 
ary, and yet the sky was of as cloudless a blue, the 
atmosphere as soft, and the face of nature as smiling as 
in the finest days of a northern summer. The almond- 
trees were in full blossom, and every crevice among the 
rocks was filled with brilliant patches of odoriferous 
hyacinths. Through this delicious scenery, with the 
sunny sea outspread in the distance, we passed into the 
modern town, which is as foul and foetid as the face of 
nature is fair and smiling. Never, perhaps, was there a 
contrast more striking, than between the luxury of 
ancient Agrigentum, and the nastiness of modern Gir- 



PLAN OF GIRGENTI. 



207 




MAP OF GIRGENTI. 

1. Rupe Atenea. 4. Temple of Concord. 7. Temple of Castor and 

2. Temple of Minerva. 5. Temple of Hercules. Pollux. 

3. Temple of Juno Lucina. G. Temple of Jupiter. 8. Temple of Vulcan. 

genti. Happily, the inn was full, and the muleteer, 
with some difficulty, obtained an apartment in a private 
house, which proved unexpectedly clean, and, moreover, 
commanded a splendid view of the temples and the dis- 
tant sea. 



208 



THE BRAZEN BULL. 



Of all the colonies founded by the Greeks in . Sicily, 
Agrigentum, if not the most powerful, was the most 
proverbial for the elegance and luxury of its citizens. 
An ancient city is said to have existed here before their 
times, built by Cocalus, King of Sicania, who employed 
Daedalus to erect for him an impregnable fortress, with a 
labyrinth, in the Cretan fashion, upon the loftiest part 
of the rock. At length, a Khodian or Ionian colony, 
struck with the advantages of the site, transferred thither 
the arts and manners of Greece. Owing to its vicinity 
to the sea, the richness of the surrounding country, and 
the trade that sprang up with Carthage, it soon became 
wealthy and flourishing. The government, like that of 
the other Grecian colonies, was oligarchical, until the reins 
of power were seized by Phalaris, whose name has 
become proverbial for cruelty. It was to this tyrant 
that Perillus made a present of the brazen bull, into 
which, when heated red-hot, the victims of his cruelty 
might be thrown, their groans imitating those of the 
animal ; a refinement of cruelty to which Phalaris made 
the inventor the first victim. 

The tyrant being killed in a popular insurrection, the 
Agrigen tines regained their liberty; but after an inter- 
val of a century and a half, fell under the sway of 
Theron, who largely extended his dominion, and carried 
the splendour of Agrigentum to its highest pitch. It 
became proverbial for the Sybarite luxury of its citizens, 



% F 



CIVIC LUXURY. 



209 



and the accounts left to us of their style of living are 
almost incredible. Plato declared that " they built as if 
they thought themselves immortal, and ate as if they 
expected never to eat again." Diodorus says, that one 
of the citizens, returning victorious from the Olympic 
games, was followed by a train of three hundred cars, 
each drawn by four white horses sumptuously capari- 
soned. He adds, that the horses of Agrigentum were 
highly prized, and that monuments to a favourite 
courser were often erected by the citizens. Some idea 
of the effeminacy of their habits may be formed from 
the instructions given to the sentinels, who were allowed 
to carry for their comfort only a certain quantity of 
bedding. 

But it was not only for luxurious refinement that the 
Agrigentines were remarkable. Many of the citizens 
were distinguished for their progress in the arts and 
sciences ; the most famous of all being Empedocles, who 
was not only the liberator of his country by substituting 
a more liberal government for the oligarchy, but was at 
once celebrated for his attainments in astronomy, history, 
physic, rhetoric, philosophy, poetry, and music. He 
Nourished about B.C. 450. Gellias was no less celebrated 
throughout Sicily for his enormous wealth and magni- 
ficent hospitality. It is said that his person so little 
corresponded with his wide-spread reputation, that when 
sent ambassador to a neighbouring state, the senators 



210 



A JUDGMENT FROM THE GODS. 



could not refrain from laughing. Gellias with ready wit 
replied, that they must not be surprised at the meanness 
of his appearance, for the Agrigentines always sent their 
comeliest men as ambassadors to the noblest cities ; while 
to those that were insignificant, they contented them- 
selves with despatching such messengers as himself. 

The Carthaginians, upon the revolution of the 
Segestans, invaded Sicily ; and after having destroyed 
Selinunte and Himera, Hamilcar, then general, next 
turned his arms against Agrigentum. The citizens had 
made every preparation to receive him. They took into 
pay Decippus the Spartan with 1500 mercenaries, and 
also 800 Campanians, who had deserted from the 
Carthaginians, and who were posted on the Rock Atenea. 
Hamilcar surrounded the city with his troops, and 
erected wooden towers to storm the weakest parts of the 
wall, but the besieged made a nocturnal sally and burned 
them. He next began to pull down the tombs, in order 
to erect some stone works against the walls. While thus 
demolishing the sepulchre of Theron, a thunderbolt fell 
on them, which, with a malignant disease that broke out 
in the camp, appeared to the panic-stricken Cartha- 
ginians a judgment from the gods. They ceased, 
therefore, to destroy the tombs, and sacrificed a boy to 
Saturn, to turn aside the anger of Heaven. 

Meanwhile the Syracusans marched with a strong 
force to raise the siege. A battle took place in sight of 



THE PUNISHMENT OF LUXUKY. 



211 



the walls ; the Carthaginians were routed and besieged 
in their own camp, where they were soon reduced to the 
utmost distress for provisions. From this they were 
relieved by the activity of Imilcon, who, learning from a 
deserter that a Syracusan fleet was on its way to carry 
succour to the besieged, intercepted it with forty of his 
galleys from Panormus and Motya, and gained a complete 
victory. A change of fortune now ensued, and after a 
siege of eight months, the downfal of Agrigentum could 
no longer be averted. Decippus and the other mercen- 
aries seeing this result before them, and bribed by 
Imilcon, passed over to the Carthaginian service, alleging 
as a pretext the scarcity of provisions. This induced 
the Agrigen tines to institute an examination, when it 
was found that there remained only enough for a few 
days' supply. The crowded and luxurious population 
(to quote in full the language of the historian Palmeri) 
could not bear the idea of any stint. It was resolved to 
abandon the city under cover of the night, and retire to 
Gela. On the publication of this decree, the streets and 
houses resounded with cries of desperation, and unavail- 
ing lamentation. It was a mournful spectacle to see 
200,000 citizens, of every age, sex, and condition, 
abandoning with tears their household gods — noble 
matrons, beautiful virgins, innocent children — the old 
and the young, the slave and his master, the plebeian 
with the patrician, passing instantaneously from the 



212 



DEATH OF GELLIAS. 



summit of luxury to the extreme of wretchedness. 
The whole body, escorted by the militia, withdrew 
to Gela, whence the Syracusans conducted them to 
Leontini. 

Next morning the Carthaginians, not without appre- 
hension of surprise, entered the city. They put to death 
some few citizens who had not abandoned it, perhaps 
from inability to travel, or because the love of their 
country was stronger in their breasts than the fear of 
death. Among them was the noble and most hospitable 
Gellias, who had retreated with his family and treasures 
into the Temple of Minerva, in the hope that the 
Carthaginians would have respected his asylum. When 
he saw the other temples sacked by the plunderers, he 
set fire to that in which he had taken refuge, and 
perished. Besides money, an immense quantity of 
pictures, statues, ornaments, and furniture, fell into the 
hands of the Carthaginians ; and among the spoil was 
the famous bronze bull of Perillus, which they took 
away with them to Africa ; but which was afterwards 
restored to Agrigentum by Scipio Africanus. Thus, in 
the 93rd Olympiad, fell the pride and splendour of the 
great Greek colony. 

When the Carthaginians were at length expelled, a 
body of settlers returned and reoccupied the city, which 
rapidly regained its former consequence. 

During the first Punic War, Agrigentum became the 



VICTORY OF THE ROMANS. 



213 



object of contention between the Carthaginians and 
Romans. The former occupied it 262 B.C. with 50,000 
of their own soldiers, and half that number of citizens, 
and the Roman Consuls besieged it with 100,000 men. 
Unable even with this large army to reduce it by 
force, they endeavoured to do so by famine, and for five 
months intercepted all supplies sent to the besieged, who 
were reduced to the greatest extremity. The Cartha- 
ginian senate sent Hanno to their relief with 50,000 
foot, 6000 horse, and 70 elephants. The Romans, in 
great distress for provisions, were now about to raise the 
siege, when Hanno, not aware that their extremity must 
force them to retire, and desirous of relieving the 
garrison without delay, offered them battle. At the 
first onset the African vanguard were broken, and the 
elephants, terrified at the outcries of the Romans, turned 
round and fled, throwing the main body into confusion, 
and helping to complete the rout of the Carthaginians, 
who left their camp a recompense for the victors. 
During the following night, Hannibal contrived to steal 
through the besieging army and escape, while the 
Romans entered the city in triumph after a seven months' 
siege, in which they had lost more than 30,000 soldiers. 
Such are the most memorable incidents in the annals of 
Girgenti. After this period it fell under the Roman 
sway, and at the fall of the Empire became the seat of 
a Saracen Emir ; but from this degradation was rescued 



214 



A TOURIST'S ADVICE. 



by Count Roger in 1086, who established a bishopric 
here, and fortified the city. 

To those who have more than one day to spare at Girgenti, 
it is advisable to obtain the valuable services of Sign or Politi, 
whose guide-book, moreover, contains the fullest informa- 
tion on the subject of its antiquities. But in order to enjoy 
Girgenti, it is cot enough to have a whole chapter of its archi- 
tectural and classic lore incessantly dinned into one's ears ; 
it is the beauty of the spot, the romantic and ever-vaiying 




COIN OF GIRGENTI. 



combinations of scenery and ruin — the light, the flowers 
and air, the sunshine and the poetry — that will live in 
the traveller's recollection when all archaeological details 
are forgotten. On this point we shall deal mercifully 
with the reader, being rather anxious to convey a 
general idea of the place and its beauties than to usurp 
the office of a local cicerone. 

Sallying out of the town to the eastward, we first 



A GLORIOUS PICTURE. 



215 



directed our steps to the Rupe Atenea, the bold and 
precipitous rock which forms the north- west angle of the 
site, and on which formerly stood two temples, but very 
trifling remains, or rather mere traces, of which at 
present exist. These were, first, the Temple of Jupiter 
and Minerva, where Gellias, on the capture of the city, 
was consumed with all his family and treasures ; the 
second, at the extreme angle of the rock, measuring 
about 91 feet in length by 41 J feet in breadth, was 
dedicated to Ceres and Proserpine, and is connected with 
a wooden chapel. The view from this angle of the rock 
is strikingly magnificent. 

Still following its crest we come to the south-east 
angle of the rock, upon which Agrigentum is situated. 
Here the combination of scenery is indeed unequalled. 

Imagine a long ridge towering above the plain below, 
almost covered with palmetto shrubs and odoriferous wild- 
flowers, which start from every crevice in the rock, and 
fill the air around with intoxicating sweetness. On the 
commanding brink of this precipice, separated by a short 
interval, stand two temples of Doric architecture, the 
nearer, dedicated to Juno Lucina, but formerly called 
the Temple of Modesty, presenting an incomparably 
picturesque group of columns, some upright and others 
prostrate, or thrown in wild confusion around — the 
second, called that of Concord, still apparently entire. 
The colouring of these edifices, a pale golden amber, is 



216 



ART AND NATURE. 




TliMPLE OP JUNO. 



relieved by the soft }^et brilliant sunshine, which defines 
every detail of the architecture, and every ruined frag- 
ment, and every fallen stone, with an effect indescribably 
resplendent. But it is the combination of these temples 
with the scenery around them that renders this part of 
Girgenti almost unique in beauty. Never, perhaps, was 
there an instance in which the admirable taste of the 



THINGS OF BEAUTY. 



217 




Greeks in the position of their edifices was more remark- 
ably displayed than here. Art and nature are made 
mutually to enhance each other. From whatever point 
we view the temples, they are a glorious adornment of 
the scene; while the prospect from them is no less magni- 
ficent and commanding over plains, valleys, and mountains 
around, whose every outline is romantic, and the distant 



218 



ANECDOTES OF ZEUXIS. 



sea, of a soft and slumberous azure, which expands 
towards the southern horizon. It is in the midst of 
such a scene that we may comprehend something of the 
life of the ancient Greeks, and that intense feeling for 
beauty which was the predominant element of their 
existence. 

It was in this very Temple of Juno Lucina (which 
we have represented on page 205) that Zeuxis the 
painter, desirous of executing a picture of the goddess of 
which the ideal perfection should transcend any single 
instance of mortal charms, caused the choicest virgins of 
Agrigentum to appear before him in unadorned beauty, 
selecting from them five to serve as especial models, and, 
by combining those features which in each were most 
remarkable, completed a work that, preserved on the 
northern wall of the interior, formed one of the master- 
pieces of the ancient world. 

The ruins of this temple are so inimitably picturesque, 
that a second view is requisite to convey a satisfactory 
idea of them. Besides the lateral view, with the Temple 
of Concord in the distance, the eastern or principal 
facade is also selected. In front of this evidently 
existed a court, and its remains, overgrown with 
palmetto and hyacinth, form a very picturesque fore- 
ground. The sun is represented as I saw it, setting in 
the distant sea, with a gorgeous glow of which no words 
of mine can convey any accurate conception. These 



FACTS AND FIGURES. 



219 



views, it should be observed, are literally as correct as I 
could make them, without the slightest attempt at com- 
position or embellishment. 

I shall not weary the reader with a lengthened 
description of this edifice. Suffice it to say that it was 
of oblong form, being about 124 feet in length and 
about 57 in breadth, and that the number of exterior 
columns was 34. Their height is 20,832 feet, and 
their lower diameter 4508 feet. The architrave and 
frieze remain in tolerable preservation, but the cornice 
has been destroyed. The stone of which this and the 
other temples is composed appears to be a yellowish 
concrete of sand and small shells, "agglutinated by 
pressure." The date of the temple is reputed to be 
between 470 and 500 B.C. 

The latest authorities furnish the following measure- 
ments : — 



Length of the upper step of the stylobate* 125 feet 7 inches. 

Breadth of ditto 55 ,. 4 „ 

Length of the cella 91 G 

Breadth of ditto 32 .. 6 „ 

Diameter of the columns at base 4 ,, 3 ,, 

Ditto at neck 3 ,. 4 „ 

Height of columns, including capital 21 .. 3 ,, 

Space between each column 5 .,10 ,, 

Height of the architrave 3 .,11 



One striking peculiarity is the noble foundation and 

* The stjlobate is the platform on which the temple stands ; the cella may be de- 
scribed as the nave of the building. 



220 



TEMPLE OF CONCORD. 



flight of steps, evidently intended to lift up the building, 
and give it a command over the adjacent scenery, while 
it rendered it more conspicuous at a distance. 

Leaving behind us the Temple of Juno Lucina, we 
follow the edge of the precipice, along which ran the 
wall of the city. Passing numerous tombs and sepulchres 
excavated in the solid rock, some supposed by antiquaries 
to be of Grecian and others of Roman origin, we reach 
in a few minutes the Temple of Concord. 

This edifice, supposed by many to have been erected 
after the Punic War, is, with the exception of the roof 
and some small portions, still entire ; and although, lack- 
ing the colossal dimensions of the temples of Psestum, it 
has not their majestic grandeur, is still a very beautiful 
and harmonious specimen of the Grecian Doric architec- 
ture. It stands in lonely beauty near the edge of the 
rock, silent and forsaken, except by flocks of goats that 
browse among the odoriferous shrubs. As its pure 
marble columns and graceful outlines stand out in 
exquisite relief against the deep blue cloudless heaven, 
the picture is one which fascinates the eye, and pro- 
duces an ineffaceable impression on the imagination. 
The view presents it from the south-west, and displays 
the broken scenery of the cliff, bestrewed with huge 
masses of fallen rock, and the lofty crag upon which is 
seen in the distance the Temple of Juno Lucina. 

The popular appellation of the building is unsupported 



A LATIN INSCRIPTION. 221 

by any inscription or evidence whatsoever, except a Latin 
tablet found in the city — 

CONCORDIA AGRIGENTI 
NOEVM SACRVM 
RESPUBLICA LILYBITANO 
KVM DEDICANTIBVS 
M. HATE RIO CANDIDO PROCOS. 
ET L. CORNELIO MARCELLO Q 
PR . V . PR 

A 

A Roman inscription, as it has been remarked, would not 
belong to the period of its foundation, and it has been 
therefore supposed that it alluded to some other edifice. 
Some believe the building to have been dedicated to 
Ceres. 

The measurements of the Temple of Concord are as 
follow : — 



Length of the upper step of the stylobate 129 feet 4 inches. 

Breadth of ditto 55 ,, 9 ,. 

Length of the cella 94 ,, 7 ,, 

Breadth of ditto ... 30 ,, 8| „ 

Diameter of columns at base 4 ,, 10 „ 

Ditto at neck 3 ., 9 ,, 

Height of columns 22 ., ,, 

Space between the columns 5 ,, 8 ,, 



Of all the temples of Agrigentum, that dedicated to 
Jupiter Olympius was by far the most colossal in scale, 
though not the best in style ; but it is now a shapeless 
heap of ruins, the fragments of which, nevertheless, amply 
demonstrate its former grandeur. It was 354 feet 7 



222 



THE PALACE OF THE GIANTS. 



inches in length, and 173 feet 8 inches in breadth, or 
more than double the size of the Temple of Concord or 
that of Juno Lucina. According to Diodorus, the 
channels of its columns were large enough for a man to 
stand in — a statement corroborated by the scale of the 
fragments. The edifice stood on a flight of steps, and 
had two fronts, the pediments of both being adorned 
with splendid sculptures — those on the eastern repre- 
senting the War of the Giants and those on the western 
the Capture of Troy. The fragments of one of the 
Telamon, formerly (as is supposed) supporting the pedi- 
ment, have been put together by Signor Politi, and is 
twenty-six feet in length. The execution is coarse and 
clumsy, and it appears to have been once covered over 
with stucco ; but the colossal scale well justifies the 
vulgar appellation given to the edifice it and its com- 
panion figures supported, — "the Palace of the Giants." 

Somewhat to the north of the Temple of Zeus 
Olympius is that of Castor and Pollux. Considerable 
portions of it have been preserved, and brought to light 
in the course of recent excavations. The architecture 
is of singular beauty and excellence. It should, however, 
be added that there is no authority for the name usually 
given to these ruins, and that it is wholly unknown to 
what deity or deities the ancient shrine was dedicated. 

The other remains at Agrigentum are considerable. 
Of the Temple of Hercules, which measured 219 feet 



STATUE OF HERCULES. 



223 




TEMPLE OF CASTOR AND POLLUX. 



8 inches in length, and 83 feet in breadth, but a single 
column is now standing. In this building stood the 
famous bronze statue of the god, of whose attempted 



224 



TOMB OF THERON. 



theft by Verres such a lively description is left us by 
Cicero. Of the Temple of iEsculapius, which was only 
6 6 feet 1 inches long, by 3 feet 1 inches broad, there 
remain but a picturesque fragment of two Doric columns 
and a portion of the entablature. 

Numerous tombs are excavated in the face of the 
rocks, but there is only one standing which merits any 
particular attention, and respecting this much curious 
controversy has arisen. It is popularly called the Tomb 
of Theron (Sepulcro di Therone), but is certainly too in- 
significant for so eminent a personage, and does not 
answer to the description of Diodorus — that it was a 
magnificent and elegant structure. Others have supposed 
that we have here one of those monuments which Dio- 
dorus and Pliny assure us the Agrigentines raised in 
memory of those generous steeds to which they were so 
passionately .attached ; and if so, it may certainly be re- 
garded as a curiosity unique in architecture. Some 
antiquaries, however, regard it as of far later date. 

It is a square two-storied tower, resting on a plinth 
16 feet 9 inches square, but tapering slightly towards 
the top. While the lower stoiy is entirely plain, the 
upper is adorned at each angle by a fluted Ionic column, 
supporting a Doric entablature. In each face of this 
story is a recessed blank Doric window, with moulded 
cornice and panels. Total elevation of the tower, 28 
feet 8 inches. 



ADDITIONAL ANTIQUITIES. 225 

At the south-west angle of the ancient city stand the 
remains of the Temple of Vulcan ; two broken Doric 
columns towering among olives, vines, carobs, and vari- 
ous luxuriant creepers. It seems to have been 62 feet 
in length, and 57 in breadth. The general character of 
the ruins shows that the structure was raised during the 
Roman supremacy at Agrigentum. 

In the ravine below the Temple of Castor and Pollux 
is the site of the great fish-pond or Piscina, described by 
Diodorus as nearly a mile in circuit, and twenty cubits 
in depth, which was constructed by the Carthaginians 
captured after the victory of Himera. 

Such is a glance at the principal remains of this once 
splendid and luxurious city. There are some apparently 
very ancient excavations, or quarries, which some absurdly 
suppose to have been the work of Dasdalus, beneath a 
house in the town ; and in the cathedral an ancient 
sarcophagus, now serving as a font, covered with sculp- 
ture relating to the story of Phredra and Hippolytus, 
while the public library contains a collection of coins. 

The little church of Santa Maria de' Greci occupies 
the site of an ancient Greek temple — supposed to be that 
of Jupiter Policus — and embodies some of its remains. 

Girgenti contains four parish churches, besides the 
cathedral, eleven monasteries, six nunneries, and a 
spacious college. 

About seven miles distant, on the road to Concitini, 

.'212) 15 



226 



MUD-VOLCANOES. 



are the famous Maccalubce, or mud-volcanoes; "numer- 
ous little hillocks with craters, on a kind of large trun- 
cated cone of argillaceous barren soil, with wide cracks 
in all directions, elevated nearly two hundred feet above 
the surrounding arid plain, and about half a mile in 
circuit." These were formerly in constant action, with 
a hollow rumbling noise, and ejected a fine cold mud 
mixed with water, a little petroleum, and salt — the dis- 
charge sometimes reaching the height of thirty to sixty 
feet. Now, however, they simply disengage a quantity 
of gas, generated by the slow combustion of underlying 
beds of sulphur. 

The road from Girgenti to Sciacca presents but little 
interest. The first place is Siculiana (pop. 5981), the 
vicinity of which is famous for its sulphur mines. At 
the small town of Montallegro (pop. 1437), or the "Cheer- 
ful Mountain," we passed the night in a miserable locanda, 
and next morning pursued the road to Sciacca. At a 
short distance on the left, at the mouth of the River 
Platani, was the site of Heraclea, which, according to 
some antiquaries, was called Minoa, after Minos the 
Cretan. 

We reached Sciacca (pop. 14,614) early in the after- 
noon, and found an inn which externally looked more 
promising than our last abiding-place, but which, in the 
prime article of vermin, fully equalled, if, indeed, it did 
not surpass it. It is but just to the poor innkeeper to 



A NOCTURNAL FORAY. 



227 



say that, case-hardened himself, he conscientiously believed 
that his beds were free from vermin, and the most rigor- 
ous scrutiny certainly failed to discover any. Having, 
nevertheless, placed a basin of water by the bedside, as a 
receptacle for any stragglers, I put out the light, and got 
into bed ; and whether they crept out of the walls, or 
dropped from the ceiling, certain it is that in half an 
hour I consigned no less than four-and- twenty of my 
tormentors to a watery grave. In the morning the host 
entered with a hesitating smile on his countenance, ex- 
pressing a trembling hope that I must have passed a 
quiet night. I contented myself with pointing expres- 
sively to the basin, simply repeating the awful words, 
" Vinti-quattro : vinti-quattro !" 11 Oh Bio /" he wildly 
re-echoed, as he ran to the basin, and obtained ocular 
demonstration of the fact. He then gave utterance to a 
groan of despair, covered his face with his hands, and 
rushed madly out of the apartment. I did not get sight 
of him again until the moment of departure, by which 
time his paroxysm had subsided, and his countenance 
assumed an air of placid resignation and melancholy com- 
posure. The poor wretch was, I verily believe, without 
the means of buying us provisions, and we had to go 
ourselves the evening before in quest of them, returning 
at last in triumph — the master with a beef-steak upon a 
skewer, and the man with an enormous bunch of brocoli 
under his arm. 



228 



A REMARKABLE PHENOMENON. 



Sciacca, the birth-place' of Agathocles, is a small port, 
and exhibits some little bustle • but its chief reputation 
is connected with the hot sulphur baths, on account of 
which it was called Thermae Selinuntise. The ancient 
castle and baths of Daedalus, where Minos is said to have 
been stifled, are about two miles and a half from the 
town. The modern name is a corruption of the Arabic 
Sheikh, or chieftain. 

" In July 1831," says Mrs. Starke, "the inhabitants 
of Sciacca were alarmed by repeated shocks of an earth- 
quake, followed by a stupendous column of water rising 
majestically from the sea, on a spot commonly called La 
Secca del Corallo, and about two leagues from the beach. 
This aquatic column was quickly succeeded by the ap- 
pearance of a considerable island, which rose high from 
the bosom of the deep, forming itself into the shape of a 
parallelogram, with a cluster of pointed rocks at one ex- 
tremity, and at the other a perpendicular mountain, while 
the centre of the island displayed a tremendous volcano, 
ejecting to an immense height in the air flames and red- 
hot stones, together with showers of ashes, which, in 
falling, assumed the shape of ostrich feathers. The 
cluster of pointed rocks, when the volcano raged furiously, 
was tinted with all the vivid colours usually produced 
by sulphur, and the sky and the waves were tinged with 
crimson. The existence of this island was, however, 
transient, for in December 1831, even before its name 



THE GIANTS' COLUMNS. 



229 



had been settled, it sank back into the bosom of the 
deep." 

Having a long day's ride before us, we left our 
wretched quarters with the dawn, and in the afternoon 
drew near to Selinunte. The clouds had been for some 
time gathering, and as the ruins came in sight, the storm 
burst on us in all its fury. No building was at hand 
but a farm-house, which seemed to be abandoned. The 
rain continued to pour down, and eight miles yet 
remained to Castelvetrano, our destined halting-place 
for the night. To examine the ruins under such cir- 
cumstances was impossible ; but one parting view I 
determined to enjoy in defiance of wind and tempest. 
Drawing down over my head the hood of a heavy 
Sicilian cloak, I clambered with some difficulty to one 
of the few pillars yet remaining upright amidst a wil- 
derness of fallen blocks, and obtained a view over the 
wide-spread mass of ruins, the sublimity of which was 
infinitely heightened by the wildness of the passing storm, 
the deluge of rain, the masses of drifting clouds, and the 
angry foam-covered sea, which formed the background of 
the picture. Several large temples spread over the 
desolate plain, but all of them hurled to the ground at 
one stroke by the terrible earthquake that destroyed 
Selinunte. The ruins amidst which I stood, well called 
by the Sicilians " I Pilieri de' Giganti," or, the Pillars of 
the Giants, were those of the colossal temple of the 



230 



AT SELINUNTE. 




SELINUNTE. 



Olympian Jove, no less than 359 feet in length by 
nearly 162 in breadth; and some of the blocks and 
shafts which lay hurled around in tumultuous confusion 
are of enormous size — one block being forty feet long, 
seven broad, and three deep. Except the great temple 
at Agrigentum, this was the largest in all Sicily ; and at 
a short distance are the ruins of two others of scarcely 
inferior dimensions. In the low ground are seen the 
ruins of four other sacred edifices. The spot is aban- 
doned in consequence of the unwholesomeness of the air, 
and what was once Selinunte is given up to utter and 
awful desolation. 



TEMPLE OF JUPITER. 



231 



No names having been given to these temples, it is 
difficult to particularize them to the reader. There are 
four, however, as already stated, within the Acropolis, and 
three without. 

Of the four within the Acropolis, one is situated at the 
extreme south, another at the north-east, and the other 
two lie between. We may indicate them as 1, 2, 3, 4. 

Temple No. 1 was hexastyle-peripteral ; and there 
were thirty-six columns in the peristyle, which was 
raised on a stylobate of four steps. The measurements 
are as follow : — 



Length of the upper step of the stylobate 125 feet 7 inches. 

Breadth of ditto 51 „ 1 ,., 

Length of the cella externally 91 „ 6 „ 

Breadth of ditto 27 .,11 „ 

Diameter of the columns at base 4 ,, 

Ditto at neck 3 „ 4 „ 



Temple No. 2 is of insignificant dimensions. It is 
situated about twenty paces to the north of the former 
and grander pile, and possesses peculiar interest from the 
traces of ancient colouring which the sedicula retains. 
Some authorities suppose it to have been dedicated to 
Empedocles. Its measurements are : — 



Length of the stylobate 32 feet 7 inches. 

Breadth of ditto 19 „ 2 „ 

Breadth of the cella externally.... 15 ,, 10 „ 

Diameter of the columns 1 ,, 4f ,, 



A few paces further to the north-west, lie the ruins of 



232 



DIMENSIONS OF THE EDIFICE. 



the largest temple on the hill, forming a chaotic mass, 
into which only the scientific knowledge of the antiquary 
can introduce order or arrangement. The architecture is 
Doric, and evidently of a remote antiquity ; belonging, 
probably, to the latter half of the seventh century B.C. 
Measurements :— 

Length of the upper step of the stylobate 208 feet 5 inches. 





77 


„ 1 „ 






., 11 ,. 


Breadth 


33 


„ io „ 




28 


h io „ 



The last temple, No. 4, is hexastyle-peripteral, with 
thirteen fluted columns on each side, and raised on a 
stylobate of four steps. 

No other important remains of buildings are discernible 
within the walls ; but the outlines of two spacious and 
massively-built edifices, whose nature is unknown, may 
be traced outside the walls, near the north-east and 
north-west angles. 

The three temples outside the Acropolis are situated 
on the eastern side of the valley, which is watered by a 
small stream, but anciently formed the arsenal and 
emporium of Selinus. 

The southernmost, apparently dating from 450 B.C., 
must have been a noble and spacious edifice. Its length 
.was 223 feet 3 inches; its breadth, 83 feet 7 inches. The 
length of the cella externally may be estimated at 166 
feet and its breadth at 48 feet. 



THE ANCIENT SELINUS. 



233 



A little to the north lie the remains of a second temple, 
supposed to have been built about 550 to 500 B.C. It 
measured 202^ feet by 79 feet 8 inches. Length of the 
cella, externally, 135 feet 7 inches ; breadth, 2 7 feet 5 
inches. 

The northernmost temple is one of the largest extant, 
and only surpassed in magnificence of construction by 
that of Jupiter Olympius at Girgenti, and that of " Diana 
of the Ephesians." Its columns were very massive ; 
their diameter at the base being eleven, and at the neck 
eight feet (all but an inch). Of these huge pillars there 
were eight in the portico, seventeen in each wing, and 
forty-six altogether in the peristyle. The temple was 
never completed ; the work of the builders being inter- 
rupted by the Carthaginian conquest of Selinus in 409 B.C. 

Its measurements are as follow : — - 

Length of the upper step of the stylobate 360 feet 3 inches 

Breadth of ditto 163 „ „ 

Length of the cella externally 272 „ 6 

Breadth of ditto 76 2 „ 

Height of columns, including capitals 57 ,, 9 

Selinunte is the ancient Selinus. A learned friend 
remarks, that the coins which were made when it was a 
nourishing Greek city bear on one side the leaf of the 
Selinum plant, as a symbol of the name of the place, and 
they thus give us the true meaning of a word which has 
been usually translated parsley. It is a trefoil or clover. 



234 



HEDGES OF ALOES. 



We are told in the second book of the Iliad, in the Cata- 
logue, that when Achilles would not fight, and his soldiers 
were idling themselves near the tents, their horses stood 
by the chariots eating lotus and meadow-grown selinum. 
This passage agrees with the coins in determining that 
the plant is clover. 

I remained until the soaking rain compelled me to 
retire, and then, with the guide, mounted and rode off 
in the rain towards Castelvetrano (pop. 14,540). The 
storm cleared off as we approached that little town, but 
not before it had thoroughly drenched us both. To our 
unspeakable satisfaction we found the inn tolerably clean; 
and after drying our garments, contrived to get a decent 
supper and bed. 

Instead of following the coast by way of Marsala and 
Trapani, we struck across the interior by the way of 
Salemi, an ancient and picturesque town on the top of a 
hill, overtopped by the mouldering remains of a mediaeval 
castle, and overlooking a wide expanse of corn-covered 
plains and hills. At evening we drew near to Calatafimi 
(pop. 10,000), passing between hedges of immense aloes; 
and those who are accustomed to nurse in a tub, as a 
great rarity, a single specimen of this noble plant, or of 
the flowering myrtle, would have been enraptured at the 
spontaneous prodigality of nature under the ripening sun of 
the south ; where the horseman rides carelessly over, and 
tramples out the scent of flowers that would be preserved 



ORIGIN" OF SEGESTE. 



235 



with care as the ornaments of an English garden, and 
where the air of the wild heath is always redolent with 
musky aromatic perfumes. 

The sun was nearly setting when a most majestic 
vision opened suddenly before our eyes — the Temple of 
Segeste, about four miles distant, standing in lonely sub- 
limity on a lofty precipice, surrounded by an amphi- 
theatre of craggy mountains, closed in by the graceful 
peaks of Eryx. The startling manner in which we were 
introduced to this glorious combination of nature and art 
produced a most vivid impression, affording another and 
most striking instance of the manner in which the Greeks 
placed their edifices, so as to harmonize with and be 
heightened by the grandeur of the surrounding scenery. 
After waiting until the last light had faded from the 
distant temple, we repaired to Calatafimi, where a decent 
locanda sheltered us for the night, and at an early hour 
next morning were on our way to the ruins of Segeste. 

This republic was perhaps more ancient than any in 
the island, its origin being involved in the haze of 
mythological fiction, which attributes its foundation to 
Egestus or Acestes, the offspring of a Trojan virgin and 
the little river Crinisus, which, as Virgil relates, embraced 
her in the form of a dog. Others say that this Egestus 
was born in Sicily, but of Trojan parentage, and being 
recalled to the defence of Troy, returned after its destruc- 
tion to this spot with Elymus, and being presented with 



236 



CLASSICAL ASSOCIATIONS. 



lands by the Sicani, founded this city in concert with 
iEneas. iEneas landed at the tower of Segesta or 
jEgesta — 

" Whose hollow earth Anchises' bones contains. 
And where a prince of Trojan lineage reigns !" 

Here the Prophet or Seer advises iEneas to settle, and 
adds — 

" Here you may build a common town for all, 
And from Acestes' name Acesta cal 1 ." 

Dry den s Virgil, book v. 

The Asiatic origin of Segeste is shown in the termina- 
tion of the name upon its coins, which is like the Lycian 
inscriptions. 




COIN OF SEGESTE. 



This republic became flourishing and important, but 
the continual quarrels in which it was involved with 
that of Selinunte, were a constant source of peril for 
Sicily, and proved in the end the ruin of both cities. It 
was at the entreaty of the Segestans, as before said, that 
the Athenians were induced to undertake their disastrous 
expedition against Syracuse (b.c. 416). It was the 



THE GREAT TEMPLE. 



237 



Segestans, unable to cope with their more powerful 
rivals, that invited the co-operation of the Carthaginians, 
who destroyed Selimmte and Agrigentum, and overran 
the island. By such conduct they brought down upon 
themselves the vengeance of Agathocles, who devastated 
their city on returning from his successful expedition 
against Carthage, and subjected the inhabitants to the 
most horrible tortures. It arose from its ashes, became 
involved in the Punic War, and finally yielded to the 
"Romans, who, in consideration of a common origin, in- 
vested it with peculiar privileges. With the decline of the 
Empire it struggled through a long period of decadence, 
until, as supposed, it was finally destroyed by the Saracens. 

Four miles along a very romantic road brought us to 
the great temple, which in its general effect is unques- 
tionably the grandest in the whole island. Standing on 
the brink of a profound precipice, and surrounded on all 
sides with lofty desolate mountains, with little or no 
vegetation, it impresses the most careless spectator with 
a feeling of overpowering awe — akin to that which it 
was intended to produce in the mind of the worshipper 
of old. The form is simple, the proportions colossal, and 
the exterior, except the roof, complete. Each pediment 
is supported by six columns of thirty feet in height, and 
each sideby twelve others. On entering the building, which 
is 1 9 1 feet 7 inches long, and 7 6 feet 5 inches wide, the 
space within is perfectly vacant, and devoid of any traces 



238 



THE THEATRE OF SEGESTE. 




TEMPLE OP SEGESTE. 



of a cella, which has led many to regard it rather as a 
basilica than a temple, or if intended for the latter as 
never having been finished. Its founder and patron 
deity are alike unknown, though from its standing with- 
out the wall of the city, it is supposed to have been con- 
secrated to the worship of the goddess Ceres. 

Not far from the temple stands the Theatre, built on 
the mountain-side, which, with the exception of the Scena, 



VENUS ERYCINA. 



239 



is more perfect than any in Sicily, the ranges of seats 
being very distinct ; and, as seen in the engraving, several 
of the upper seats are backed like c]$&s. Its external 
diameter is 205 feet; its internal, 5^1 feet 9E&IA81JSHED 1875. 





THEATRE AT SEGESTE. 



In the distance of the view appears Mount Eryx, on 
the summit of which formerly stood the now almost obli- 
terated temple of Venus Erycina,the most sensual of all the 
heathen establishments. The revenues of several cities 
were appropriated to its support, its priestesses were chosen 
for their beauty, and thus it became the favourite resort 
of the Sicilian debauchees. 



240 



A LOVELY SCENE. 



Returning from Segeste to Calatafimi, we pursued the 
high road to Palermo, which displays a very striking 
view of the Gulf of Castellamare, and found decent 
accommodation at the small town of Alcamo (pop. 
20,628), the birth-place of the poet Ciullo. 

Next morning we were on our way to the capital at 
an early hour ; crossing a dreary rugged country, the 
verdant plain of Palermo burst upon our view, a perfect 
garden of delight, open on the north to the sea, completely 
sheltered by lofty mountains, on the slope of one of 
which was seen the Cathedral of Monreale, and be} T ond, 
on the distant shore, the white buildings and domes of 
the city itself. It was a lovely scene, and welcome be- 
sides as the termination of a journey which, if it had 
afforded much enjoyment, had also been accompanied 
with severe fatigue and privation. Towards evening we 
reached the gates, and were soon ensconced in the first 
comfortable hotel we had seen since leaving Syracuse. 




CHAPTER VII. 



PALERMO ITS STREETS — THE CORSO VITTORIO EMANUELE INNER LIFE OF THE CITY 

— A PICTURE IN WORDS THE MENDICANTS — THE PROMENADE OF THE MARINA 

AN EVENING SCENE — CONVENT OF SANTA MARIA DI GESU — VIEW OF PALERMO 

MONTE PELLEGRINO — STORY OF SANTA ROSALIA — HER STATUES — CHURCH OF 
SANTO SPIRITO SCENE OF THE SICILIAN VESPERS THE CAMPO SANTO — HIS- 
TORICAL NOTICES OF PALERMO — THE PALACES OF LA CUBA AND LA ZISA— THE 

NORMAN KING, ROGER CHURCH OF SAN GIOVANNI DEGLI EREMITI THE CAPPELLA 

REALE— A GORGEOUS EDIFICE — SOME CURIOUS MOSAICS — LA MARTORANA — 

CATHEDRAL OF PALERMO ITS REMARKABLE MONUMENTS MONASTERIO DELL A 

PIETA. — MONKS AND NUNS. 

FTER repairing to the Trinacria Hotel, delight- 
fully situated, overlooking the Marina and 
the sea, and kept with the greatest comfort 
and cleanliness, I rambled out to survey the 
general appearance of the city and its environs. 
Palermo (pop. in 1862, 187,182) is traversed by 
two long streets, with a handsome circus at the inter- 
section, and forming the principal avenues of traffic and 
pleasure. The principal, which extends from the Marina 
to the Palace, was called the " Cassaro," from the 
" Cassr," or " Castle " of the Saracens, but is now known 
as the " Corso Vittorio Emanuele." Though not very 
broad — about twelve yards only — it is yet somewhat 

(212) 16 




242 



A REMAKKABLE FEATURE. 



stately in appearance, the basement, principally used as 
shops, being adorned with handsome portals, surmounted 
with coats of arms ; the first floor, or " piano-nobile," 
occupied by the more respectable families, furnished with 
overhanging balconies. But then these gateways are 
stuck over with bills, these balconies often decorated 
with pendant strings of macaroni, or festooned with the 
family linen hung out to dry. Indeed, what may be 
called the shirt scenery of Palermo is quite unique, and 
may be seen to the greatest advantage in the by-streets, 
which from one end to the other are overshadowed by 
the reeking contents of the buck-basket, arranged on 
lines and poles, with a picturesque intricacy of effect, 
and play of light and shade and colour, which in its 
way is remarkably striking. But to return to the 
Corso — perhaps its most remarkable feature, as of the 
city generally, consists of the ranges of heavy overhang- 
ing galleries, enclosed with lattice-work, which occupy 
the topmost story, belonging to the numerous nunneries 
with which Palermo abounds, constituting, at least to a 
Protestant, a very gloomy feature in its social as well 
as architectural condition. The ground floor is generally 
used as a shop or cafe open to the street, and here may 
be seen groups of soldiers and priests, most of them 
younger members of noble families, lounging away their 
time in vacant idleness, while the members of the 
various trades actively ply their vocation on the foot- 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PALERMITANS. 



243 



path, with little regard to the rights of the foot-passengers, 
who are thus thrust pell-mell into the main causeway 
among a throng of carriages, carts, and donkeys. 



with the mixture of magnificence and meanness, of 
stench and splendour, the incongruity of which is so 
evidently unperceived by the inhabitants themselves 
Passing along some back street in Palermo about the 
hour of the evening drive, you will see an equipage 
which would do no discredit to Hyde Park standing at 
some filthy-looking passage or doorway, down which come 
presently tripping a lady and gentleman, so elegantly 
dressed, you only wonder how such distingue-looking 
personages should inhabit such a sordid-looking abode. 
The truth is, that a love of dress and show, at the 
expense of substantial comfort, is characteristic of the 
Palermitans. Many a poor nobleman will let his piano- 
nobile, and occupy the inferior rooms, in order to main- 
tain a carriage with which he may cut a figure on the 
Marina, or promenade. The love of pompous titles is 
universal ; the very tradesmen, according to Smyth, ad- 
dress each other as '■' most illustrious," while the nobles 
rejoice in a corresponding profusion of compliments. 



" Palermo, with a better finish," says Admiral Smyth, 
"might be esteemed an elegant city; but it presents 
in an incongruous mixture of pomp and poverty, of 
fascinating gaiety and disgusting wretchedness, exem- 



Englishmen are struck in all these southern towns 




244 PALERMO AS IT IS. 

plified in noble ranges of palaces, disgraced at their bases 
by the stalls, shops, and ' mezzanini/ or lofts, of the 
lower orders ; in gaudy equipages, parading the same 
street with sturdy mendicants vociferously demanding 
food, or sluggishly taking their siestas on the pavement, 
ridding each other of vermin between their naps. The 
vacant holes of scaffolding, everywhere visible, seem to 
indicate unfinished labours ; the mixed architecture and 
heavy corbelled balconies ever displaying wet linen, and 
the opera play-bills, pasted on boards suspended across 
streets already too narrow for the height of the buildings, 
ruin the perspective effect. Swarms of priests, nobles, 
officers, and other loungers, yawning on chairs before the 
coffee-houses, and the cobblers, tailors, coopers, carpenters, 
and artisans of every description at their respective 
employment outside their shop-doors, complete the 
usurpation of the sides of the streets, driving foot-pas- 
sengers to run the gauntlet among the numerous car- 
riages. The constant calling out this occasions on the 
part of the coachmen, who seek to distinguish every 
person by an appropriate appellation, added to the 
hurry of business, and the thirsty groups around the 
fantastically decorated iced water stalls, conspire to con- 
fuse the scene." 

Some years ago the streets of Palermo were perfectly 
overrun with beggars, but this crying evil was partially 
remedied by the establishment in 1838 of a Mendicant 



THE MARINA, OR PARADE. 245 

Asylum, by a patriotic nobleman of Palermo. Here we 
cannot but point to the number of charitable institutions 
founded within the last quarter of a century by the 
wealthier Palermitan nobles and clergy, as highly hon- 
ourable to that benevolence which forms a striking trait 
in their character. 

The Marina, divided into the upper and lower, is the 
great boast and pride of the Palermitans ; and it must 
be confessed that it is the most beautiful promenade in 
Europe. The lower runs along the sea-side, extending 
from the gate which terminates the principal street as 
far as the Botanical Gardens ; a foot-way, well paved 
and lighted, borders the margin of the bay ; the carriage- 
way is broad and ample, and there are besides avenues 
of trees for foot-passengers. Above this is a raised ter- 
race, forming the upper Marina, bordered by magnificent 
houses, among which are the Victoria Hotel and British 
Consulate, the gardens or tile-paved courts of which are 
separated merely by a light railing from the promenade. 
But it is the surrounding scenery which constitutes its 
distinguishing beauty, and of this the reader may in 
some measure judge by picturing to himself the prospect 
from my window at the Victoria. See, just before us lie 
the upper and lower Marina, the harbour and lighthouse, 
while the Monte Pellegrino lifts its magnificent mass of 
huge bare cliffs and precipices in the background. On 
a spur at its foot is seen the Casino Belmonte, a noble 



240 



A SOUTHERN NIGHT. 



villa erected on a site admired by the Emperor of Russia. 
In. the morning and noon the Marina is almost deserted, 
a few fishermen or straggling pedestrians being its only 
occupants. It is not until the cool of the evening that 
all the genteeler portion of the Palermitans pour out of 
the gate, and begin to throng the footway of the Marina, 
while a long line of handsome equipages, issuing from 
every part of the city, completely occupy the road. 
But it is on moonlight nights that one should repair 
thither to enjoy southern life in perfection. A stage is 
erected for a musical band, who execute a variety of 
operatic pieces ; ices and refreshments are provided for 
those who can indulge in such luxuries ; the bay is 
silvered over, the mountains stand around in shade like 
giant sentinels, freshness breathes from the water, per- 
fume is in the air, everything around is steeped in beauty, 
and the heart and senses open to the tenderest and most 
contagious emotions. Hour after hour is thus passed 
away, the spot is abandoned with regret, and it is often 
midnight before the throng reluctantly separate, and the 
Marina is deserted till the following evening. 

At the extremity of the Marina, as before observed, 
is the Botanical Garden, abounding in close shady 
avenues of orange and citron, odoriferous shrubs and 
palmettos, dark groves of cypress, fountains and statues, 
a perfect Garden of Armida, and a delicious retreat 
during the blazing hours of noon. 



A NORMAN STRUCTURE. 



247 



The society of the upper classes in Palermo differs 
little or nothing from that of Italy. There are but few 
amusements and no regular opera, none of that whirl of 
intoxicating gaiety which renders Naples so fascinating 
a place of resort. 

The plain behind Palermo is one of the richest in the 
world, and from whatever point it may be viewed the 
city itself appears beautifully situated ; but perhaps it 
nowhere appears to greater advantage than from the 
convent of Santa Maria di Gesu, about two miles distant 
at the eastern extremity of the plain. This edifice, of 
Norman foundation, situated on the lower slope of Monte 
Grifone, is buried in the most beautiful vegetation — 
cypresses of immense growth, masses of round-topped 
pine, olives, oleanders, aloes, and vines. One or two 
specimens of the date-bearing palm, now nearly extinct, 
yet linger on the soil, as if loath to leave it. In the 
time of the Saracens this tree was largely cultivated in 
the neighbouring plain, addiug no doubt very greatly to 
its beauty. Behind the convent rises a pathway, which, 
climbing the steep side of the mountain, attains at 
length a small hermitage or chapel, overhang with ivy- 
covered locks, and in front of it a gigantic yew-tree. 
Hence the view extends over the luxuriant plain of 
Palermo, and its girdle of mountains, while the city 
itself is seen reposing along the beautiful curve of the bay. 



248 



STORY OF ST A. ROSALIA. 



Conspicuous in the background is Monte Pellegrino, 
somewhat resembling the rock of Gibraltar, and about 
the same height, the summit being 1963 feet above the 
level of the sea below. This remarkable mountain, the 
ancient Ercta (JEtpKTy), flanked as it is by inaccessible 
precipices, offered to the Carthaginians an almost im- 
pregnable stronghold. To the Palermitans it has a far 
greater interest, being to them a sacred place of pilgrim- 
age in connection with their patron saint. According 
to the authentic " Yita di Santa Rosalia," from which I 
quote, this glorious virgin was born at Palermo in 1130 
of noble progenitors, who could boast of the blood of 
Charlemagne. Educated with the utmost refinement of 
the period, she fled at the age of twelve from her father's 
house to the neighbouring mountains, and passed her 
whole time in acts of devotion and penance. At length 
she retired to a cavern on Monte Pellegrino, where she 
died, without her place of refuge having been discovered. 
So far the story is probably true enough, but what fol- 
lows may possibly provoke the doubts of a sceptical 
mind. During the terrible plague of 1624, when all 
efforts to stay its ravages proved ineffectual, the saint 
appeared in a dream to a certain inhabitant of Palermo, 
and disclosed to him the spot where her mortal relics 
yet remained unburied, which were reverently gathered 
up and deposited in the custody of the archbishop. 
Still the pestilence refused to leave Palermo, until one 



MIRACULOUS EVENTS. 



249 



day in February 1625 a certain Vincenzo Bonelli, a 
soap-maker, wandering about the mountain to deplore 
the loss of his better half, was encountered by a beautiful 
damsel, who said to him, " Come hither with me, Vin- 
cenzo, and I will show you my grotto." Bonelli, all in 
a tremble, demanded her name. " I am Rosalia," re- 
plied the virgin. " Then why," said the soap-maker, 
plucking up courage to address her, " do you abandon 
your country to so many afflictions?" "Such has been 
the will of Heaven," interrupted the saint; " but I am 
now sent to announce that so soon as my body shall be 
carried in procession through the city, the pestilence 
shall cease." She then showed Bonelli her place of 
retreat, advised him to confide all that he had seen and 
heard to his confessor, and moreover predicted that in 
four days he should be with her in Paradise. Bonelli, 
of course, fulfilled his instructions to the letter, and 
informed his confessor, who certified the facts by taking 
down the deposition in the presence of two pious 
Capuchins. But the most conclusive evidence, says the 
narrator, was undoubtedly the death of the soap-maker 
himself, who died as the saint had prognosticated, just 
four days after his glorious vision upon the mountain. In 
obedience to the virgin's will, her bones were now car- 
ried in splendid procession through the city, followed by 
the senate, the clergy, and the people. From that very 
moment the plague began to diminish, and totally ceased 



250 



THE WONDERFUL GEOTTO. 



as soon as the precious relics had been duly circulated 
through the entire extent of the city. No wonder that 
the pious Palermitans should honour the memory of such 
a signal deliverance by a yearly festival, which occurs 
in July, and lasts from the 11th to the 15th. A mag- 
nificent car is conducted about the city, there are splen- 
did exhibitions of fireworks, and the interior of the 
cathedral is all in a blaze with twenty thousand wax- 
lights reflected in mirrors, while the whole population of 
the city, from the highest to the lowest, give themselves 
up to a frenzy of pious dissipation. 

The grotto thus miraculously discovered lies some 
distance up the mountain, and is adorned by a statue of 
Santa Rosalia by the sculptor Gregorio Tedeschi, covered 
with a robe of solid gold, while another effigy of her 
stands in a strikingly picturesque situation on the brink 
of a tremendous precipice, a sea-mark for the pious 
mariner, who crosses himself and invokes protection of 
his patron saint.* The view hence is most magnificent, 
and, independently of pious considerations, will amply 
repay a pilgrimage. The ascent is rendered easy for 
mules by a noble causeway, which ascends the steep 
slope of the mountain in a series of zigzags. Another 
very superb view of Palermo is obtained from this 
causeway, in which the harbour, the Marina, and the 



* This statue, in gray limestone and marble, was injured by lightning in 1841, but 
has recently been restored by Eosolino La Barbera. 



THE SICILIAN VESPERS. 



251 



distant coast towards Bagaria, with the singular moun- 
tains that enclose the bay, form certainly a most enchant- 
ing picture, of which words w^ould fail to convey even 
the faintest image. 

About half-way back from Santa Maria di Gesu. to 
the city, a little to the left of the road, and distinguish- 
able by the surrounding cluster of cypresses, is the 
church and monastery of Santo Spirito, one of the earliest 
Christian foundations at Palermo, begun by Archbishop 
Walter in 1173, and famous as the scene of the memor- 
able Sicilian Vespers.* Little, however, remains of the 
original edifice except the east end, which exhibits 
pointed windows and interlacing arches. To this edifice 

* Of this tragic event the following account is given by Sismondi : — "On Easter- 
Monday, the 30th of March 1282, the Palermitans, according to their wont, set out to 
hear vespers at the church of Monreale, three miles from their city. It was their usual 
place of promenade on festival days, and the road leading to the church was covered 
with men and women. The French established at Palermo, and with them the Vicar 
Royal, took part in the fete and the procession. The latter, however, had issued orders 
that no Sicilians should carry arms to exercise them, according to their ancient usage, 
on these days consecrated to repose. The Palermitans were scattered over the plain 
gathering flowers, and hailing with shouts of joy the return of spring, when a young 
maiden, no less distinguished for beauty than noble descent, proceeded towards the 
cathedral, accompanied by the lover to whom she was betrothed, her parents, and her 
brothers. A Frenchman, named Drouet, advanced insolently towards her ; and under 
the pretence of assuring himself that she carried no weapons concealed under her 
clothes, handled her most indecently. The young girl fell back fainting in her lover's 
arms, but a cry of rage arose about her — 'Death, death to the French I' And Drouet 
fell, slain with his own sword, the first victim of the popular wrath. Not one of all 
the Frenchmen present at the fSte escaped : though the Sicilians were still unarmed, 
they slew two hundred in the country, while the bells of Monreale rang out the hour 
of vespers. Then the Palermitans returned into the city, ever repeating the same 
ominous cry — ' Death to the French !' And the carnage recommenced. Men, women, 
children, all belonging to the hated race, were put to death. Four thousand persons 
perished in that single night." — Histoire des Ripubliques Italiennes. — This narrative 
differs slightly from the account given by Amari (see ante, p. M). 



252 



THE LAST HOME OF THE DEAD. 



is now attached the Campo Santo, or cemetery, which 
we turned out of the road to examine. On passing the 
gates we entered an avenue of gloomy cypresses, on 
each side of which were ranges of large pits covered 
over with stone slabs, one for each day in the year, into 
which at nightfall the bodies of the vulgar dead are 
promiscuously thrown, amidst a horrid confusion from 
which the imagination revolts, then covered with quick 
lime, sealed up, and left to fester and decay until the 
same day of the next year comes round, when a fresh 
burden of the dead are flung in upon the mouldering 
relics of their predecessors. Through this dreary ap- 
proach we reached the convent itself, and the guide, 
throwing open a pair of gates, pointed out two vaulted 
galleries, the sight of which thus unexpectedly disclosed 
struck upon the senses with a sudden shock, and haunted 
the memory for a long time afterwards. The skeletons 
of the dead belonging to a certain brotherhood were here 
exposed in coffins and cases, clothed by the care of their 
friends in the very vestments which they had assumed 
when covered with flesh and blood — a spectacle which 
would have been grotesque had it not been unspeakably 
ghastly. On one side might be seen the bones of a 
soldier invested in all his regimental finery, and on 
the other a female with her hands clothed in white 
kid gloves, her skull grinning horribly from the midst 
of ribbons and laces, and, but for the chapless jaws, 



ORIGIN OF PALERMO. 



253 



reminding one of the expostulation of the fine lady in 
Pope : — 

" One would not, sure, be frightful when one's dead ; 
And, Betty, give this cheek a little red." 

This morbid fancy of keeping in sight the mortal 
remains of those dear to them, instead of consigning 
them at once to their everlasting resting-place, seems one 
of the characteristics of the southern mind. At the 
Capuchin convent on the other side of the city, the 
defunct brethren are thus similarly preserved in their 
monkish habiliments. To stimulate the surviving friends 
to come down handsomely for masses in behalf of the 
departed, a representation of purgatory is generally an- 
nexed, in which they are seen liquefying in the midst of 
flames, and holding up their hands to the Virgin to 
obtain her all-powerful intercession. 

The origin of Palermo is lost in the night of antiquity. 
Thucydides says it was originally inhabited by the Phoe- 
nicians, and then passed successively under the Greeks and 
the Carthaginians — in whose time it greatly flourished, 
becoming, according to Polybius, "the principal city of their 
dominions in Sicily." Eventually it fell, like the rest 
of the island, under the sway of the Romans, and during 
the decline of the Empire was overrun by the barbarians 
and Goths, until, by the valour of Belisarius, it was re- 
stored awhile to the Byzantine emperors (a.d. 535-831). 



254 



THE SARACENIC PALACE. 



Of this long and troubled period there remain neither 
records nor memorials of any importance. The monu- 
mental interest of Palermo commences with its occupation 
by the Saracens, who, having conquered Sicily, were so 
delighted with the situation of this city, and the 
fruitfulness of its environs, that they made it the 
principal seat of their power, and introduced here the 
same arts, and sciences which they brought to such high 
perfection in Spain. Of their architectural magnificence 
there are several most interesting relics at Palermo — 
portions of the sumptuous palaces of emirs and nobles, 
the principal being called La Cuba and La Zisa, though 
these are ascribed by some authorities to the Norman 
king, William the Good (1166-1189), who probably 
restored and enlarged them. A glowing description is 
given by Fazello, in 1560, of the former state of the 
first-mentioned palace. It stood in an enclosure two 
miles in circumference, adorned with runnels of water, 
luxurious gardens, studded with vaulted pavilions, and 
in the centre stood the palace itself, overhanging an 
immense fish-pond. All this splendour has now dis- 
appeared, except one of the aforesaid "vaulted pavilions." 
This is a small and graceful edifice, consisting of four 
pointed arches, displaying the peculiar ornament which 
the Normans or their Saracenic workmen afterwards 
copied into the Martorana and other Christian edifices. 
It is surmounted by a graceful dome, of precisely the 



DESCRIPTION OF LA ZISA. 



255 




PAVILION OF LA CUBA. 



same style as those seen in Egypt and other Mohammedan 
countries. 

A more complete and characteristic relic is La Zisa 
(from the Arabic daziz, 11 magnificent "), about half a 
mile from the city. The exterior of this edifice, like the 
Alhambra arid other Moorish palaces, is plain, the 
splendour being reserved for the interior. The massive 
walls are merely relieved with pointed panels, and a Cufic or 
"cursive" inscription runs round the summit. A road run- 
ning along one side of the building, which was formerly 
enclosed within an extensive garden, passes a beautiful 
open hall, of precisely the same architecture as the 
Alhambra, to which has been added a double arch and 
Corinthian pillars at some later period. Of this building 



256 



A LUXURIOUS RETREAT. 



also we have a description, extracted by Mr. Gaily 
Knight from the travels of Leandro Albert! in 1526. 
"At a short distance in front of the principal entrance 
appears a large square fish-pond, which is fed by the 
waters of the fountain in the hall. The sides of the 
fish-pond are faced with stone, and each side is fifty feet 
in length. In the midst of the pond is a square pavilion, 
approached by a little bridge of stone. Within the 
pavilion is a vaulted room, with a window on each side ; 
above which is another room, eight feet by twelve. In 
the upper room are three large windows, of which the 
front looks upon the palace. Each of these windows is 
divided by a slender pillar of the finest marble. The 
ceiling is vaulted, and ornamented in the Moresque style. 
The floor is inlaid with a variety of marbles, but at 
present is in bad condition. In this upper room the 
ladies of the palace used to assemble, and amuse them- 
selves by looking from the windows at the fish swimming 
in the clear waters below. Their damsels remained in 
the room beneath, and from its windows enjoyed the 
same recreation." When to this we add the "beautiful 
garden filled with orange and lemon trees, and exotic 
shrubs," some idea may be formed of this luxurious 
retreat. It is unnecessary to point out to those familiar 
with Arabian architecture the peculiar character of the 
honey-comb tracery, the inlaid marbles, the paved floor, 
and the fountain gushing forth and pouring down step- 



COUNT ROGER THE NORMAN. 



257 



work, forming a miniature cascade, and then bubbling 
along its marble channel to pour itself into the great 
fish-pond, which is now filled up. Another Saracenic 
palace, called Mar Dolce, "the sweet water lake," became 
a favourite retreat of the Norman monarchs. 

When these adventurers conquered the country they 
were so delighted, like the Saracens, with the situation 
of Palermo, that they made it their chief residence, and 
advanced it to the dignity of capital of their newly- 
founded kingdom. When Count Koger, by the unani- 
mous vote of his barons, assumed the dignity of king, 
Palermo was the city chosen for his coronation, which 
took place on Christmas-day 1130. The newly-elected 
monarch speedily assumed all the splendour of royalty, 
and his court displayed the utmost refinement of the 
period. At his accession he found two classes of the 
population predominating over the rest — the Greeks and 
Saracens — whose relative position was now reversed. 
The former, who under the Saracenic rule had been 
allowed to exercise their religion upon payment of a 
tribute, were restored to their original rank, and the arts, 
manners, and splendid ceremonial of the court of Con- 
stantinople became models for that of Sicily. But with 
a wise and liberal policy King Roger, far from oppressing 
the Saracens, treated them with such special consideration, 
that the} 7 speedily became attached to his person. He 
patronized their learned men ; and, delighted with the 

(212) 17 



258 



THE PALAZZO EE ALE. 



style of their architecture and gardening, called Jn their 
assistance in the adornment of his new capital. 

Amidst the weighty and important duties of legislating 
for his new kingdom, and waging war with the Byzantine 
emperor and with the African Saracens, Eoger was 
constantly busied in the erection of palaces and churches. 
He added a wing to the Zisa, and adopted it as an 
occasional residence. On the site of the residence of the 
Saracenic lords he built the Palazzo Reale, a ponderous 
Norman pile, of which a considerable portion still 
remains. In carrying out his architectural designs, he 
was induced, both by the absence of Norman architects 
and probably also by taste, to adopt the services of both 
the Greek and Saracenic artists, and to combine their 
peculiarities of style in the decoration of a building of 
Latin form and outline, introducing at the same time 
certain peculiarities of Norman architecture to which he 
had by habit become accustomed. His new subjects 
seem to have worked with emulation to realize his plans, 
and both in the capital and other parts of the island have 
left behind them some of the most singular monuments in 
Christendom. It may be here observed that the dialect as 
well as the architecture of Sicily is modified by the inter- 
mixture of Greek, Arabic, Norman, and Spanish words. 

Perhaps the earliest and simplest of these edifices is 
the small church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, erected in 
1132, and so called from a company of Apulian hermits, 



A MOSQUE-LIKE CHUKCH. 



259 



invited by the king to inhabit the monastery attached 
to it. In looking at its group of cupolas one might 
suppose it to be a Saracenic mosque, but for the form of 
the Latin cross and round apses which characterize its 
Christian purpose, and the incontestible evidence con- 
tained in a diploma of its founder. The interior, however, 
is equally Saracenic in detail, as appears from the style 
of the dome, the peculiar corbels, and other details, all of 
which may be traced in the mosques and tombs of Cairo. 

But the most splendid specimen of the above-mentioned 
combinations of style is undoubtedly the Cappella Reale 
or Palatina, the small chapel erected by King Roger in 
the royal palace, and finished in the year 1132. On 
ascending the staircase which surrounds the open court 
up to the third story, we reach the singular facade of the 
chapel — if we may so designate the open corridor 
supported on light pillars which runs along the side of 
the building — covered, like the interior, with quaint and 
elaborate pictures in mosaic. On one side of the 
entrance door is a tablet in Latin, Greek, and Arabic, 
descriptive of a curious clock which was placed there by 
the founder of the building, but which is no longer in 
existence. The Latin inscription is as follows : — • 

" Hoc opus liorologii prsecepit fieri, 
Dominus magnificus Rex Rogerius, 
Anno Incarnationis Domini 1142, 
Anno, vero, regni ejus 13 feliciter." 



260 



THE CAPPELLA REALE. 



Entering the bronze portals, we find ourselves within 
an edifice which, from the singularity of its architecture 
and the poetic effect which reigns within, is singularly 
fascinating. It is of very small dimensions, consisting of 
a nave and aisles, at the extremity of which are three 
semicircular apses, with a dome from which the principal 
light is admitted. Its length, including the apse, is 101 
feet; its breadth, 40 feet 4 inches. It is difficult, with- 
out the use of technicalities, to convey any adequate 
idea of its peculiar style. It may interest the reader, 
however, to be told that the columns are for the most 
part antique, the capitals in a rich composite style from 
a Grecian chisel, while the arches reposing on them 
are of true Saracenic character, as is also the richly 
fretted roof, which strikingly resembles that of the Hall 
of Justice in the Alhambra. Even the form of the dome, 
and the arches and pillars on which it reposes, seem at 
least as much Saracenic as Byzantine, as are also the 
marble panels with which the aisles are lined. The 
small windows are also of the same character, and admit 
merely that "dim religious light " so suitable to a place 
of worship. Nearly the whole of the walls and dome 
are covered with a gold ground, upon which are wrought 
a series of primitive mosaic pictures representing Scrip- 
tural incidents, at the same time quaint and gorgeous. 
Indeed to see this building when the priests, in their rich 
dresses, are engaged in chanting the service, and the 



GREEK AND BYZANTINE MOSAICS. 



261 



sunlight streams through the narrow windows of the 
dome upon the clouds of incense which ascend curling 
almost to its summit, and touches some portion of the 
gilt and storied walls, producing effects that a Rembrandt 
alone could imitate, is what would of itself reconcile an 
amateur of art to a long and weary pilgrimage. 

After he has revelled in the first effect of the chapel, 
and marked the mingling of different styles, the mosaics, 
which are all the work of Greek and probably Byzan- 
tine artists, will next attract his attention. They are 
in a quaint and rigid manner, not un frequently, how- 
ever, attaining considerable beauty of form and expres- 
sion. The taste of their selection is no less curious, — 
Adam and Eve in Paradise ; God breathing into Adam 
the breath of life ; The Creation, with the sun and 
moon ; Eve issuing out of Adam's ribs ; Noah and his 
ark, and the children of the drunken patriarch covering 
their father's nakedness ; the tower of Babel, and other 
Bible incidents. The best, however, are from the New 
Testament, and here the artist has delighted to exhibit 
St. Paul and St. Peter in different circumstances of their 
lives. The personal appearance of the two apostles is 
well discriminated, Paul being depicted as tall and thin 
with a lofty forehead and bald crown, while Peter is 
represented with bushy white hair and beard. Here in 
one compartment the Apostle of the Gentiles is seen 
falling headlong, and the expression of sudden blindness 



262 



TREASURES OF THE SACRISTY. 



and groping is very well imagined. In another we see 
him let down in a basket from the walls of Damascus. 
In a third division the two apostles are disputing with 
Simon Magus in the presence of Nero, where, no doubt 
contrary to the artist's intention, they seem fairly 
gravelled by the arguments of the profane magician. 
Upon the interior of the dome angels with expanded 
wings float in an atmosphere of gold. The artists seem 
to have lavished their principal talents on the mosaics 
on the three apses, — that in the centre being a colossal 
head of Christ, the others, St. Peter and St. Paul. The 
execution of these is very superior to that of the re- 
mainder ; and they have laboured not unsuccessfully to 
represent the face of the Madonna as the type of serious 
and graceful beauty. 

A staircase beneath the gallery appropriated to the 
musicians leads down to another small chapel, which is 
worthy of no special remark. Adjoining the chapel is 
the sacristy, containing a curious collection of deeds and 
charters relating to the chapel. Some are in Gregk, 
others in Greek and Arabic, and after the time of the 
Emperor Frederick II., in Latin. The act of foundation 
is written in gold on purple silk, after the manner of 
the Byzantine emperors; "a proof," as Mr. Knight 
observes, " of the attentive manner in which the Byzan- 
tine usages were imitated by the Norman kings of 
Sicily." 



LA MARTORANA. 



263 



We examined the remainder of the palace, which 
having been seriously injured during the last revolu- 
tionary conflict, has undergone considerable restoration. 
Only one of the Norman apartments remains in its 
original state, but it bears ample testimony to the 
former splendour of the building. It is a room of 
moderate size, the ceiling coved, and the walls inlaid, 
like those of the chapel-royal, with mosaics, but repre- 
senting different wild beasts, and hunting scenes, recall- 
ing the favourite pursuits of the Normans. The modern 
portion of the palace, though splendid enough in its 
way, is unworthy of any particular attention. 

Another church of the same period is that called La 
Martorana, and also S. Maria dell' Ammiraglio, founded 
by George Rocius of Antioch, High Admiral to King 
Roger, and first noble of Sicily. This church is of very 
small dimensions, and in form of the Greek and not the 
Latin cross, such being the religion of the founder. 
Like the Cappella Reale, it is adorned with mosaics, two 
of which call for especial notice. One represents King 
Roger arrayed in the Byzantine costume, crowned by a 
colossal figure of the Saviour. There is probably an 
attempt to portray the countenance of the king, the 
eyes being light and piercing, the nose distinctively 
aquiline. On the opposite side is the admiral himself, at 
the feet of the Virgin, holding in her hand a scroll, at 
the bottom of which is inscribed, in Greek characters, 



2G4 



ARCHITECTURAL PECULIARITIES. 




LA MARTOBAJNA. 

"The Prayer of George the Admiral." This church was 
afterwards added to a neighbouring convent, and its 
dimensions being enlarged, it was connected with an 
ancient tower, which, as Mr. Knight supposes, formed 
the entrance to a different building. It is one of the 
most curious structures in Palermo. Though the arches 



THE CATHEDRAL OF PALERMO. 



265 



below are pointed, yet the second story retains the billet 
moulding first observed in the little pavilion of La Cuba. 

The eminent personage who erected this court also 
built a bridge over a small stream east of the city, but 
now dry. This still retains the name of the Ponte dell' 
Ammiraglio, or the Admiral's bridge. It is a solid and 
substantial edifice of high pitch, and with pointed arches 
of Saracenic form. 

The cathedral (II Duomo) of Palermo was founded 
by Gualterio Offamilio — "Walter of the Mill "—the 
Englishman, in the reign of William the Good, on the 
site of a more ancient edifice, which, after having been 
converted into a mosque by the Saracens, was pulled 
down to make room for another more extensive (a.d. 
1169—1185). Its exterior presents a variety of styles 
and dates, of which there is but a small part of the 
original foundation, except at the south and east end. 
The west end, with its towers and arches, was constructed 
between 1300 and 1355, and the west doorway added 
in 1426. The most striking and picturesque feature of 
the exterior — namely, a spacious southern porch (con- 
spicuous in the engraving) — was erected in 1450. The 
effect is perhaps rather rich than chaste, as is that 
indeed of the entire building, and the ornament, which 
is very elaborate, is a curious mixture of the Grecian 
and Gothic styles. The dome is a modern and incon- 
gruous excrescence, the work of a Neapolitan architect. 



2P.8 



INTERIOR OF THE DUOMO. 




SOUTH PORCH OF THE CATHEDRAE OF PALERMO. 



The interior of the church has been entirely modernized, 
and contains but little worthy of notice, except some 



king Roger's tomb. 



2G7 



graceful sculpture by Gagini, the chapel containing the 
sarcophagi in which repose the ashes of the Norman 
kings, and the crypt, a portion of the original building. 
In the chapel are four canopied monuments of precisely 
similar design, with the difference that two of the tombs 
reposing under them are of plain porphyry, and two 
others of white marble, inlaid with mosaics. On the 
eastern side of the chapel repose King Roger I. and the 



Emperor Frederick II. ; on the western, Constantia, 
daughter of the first-named king, and her husband, 




TOMB OF KING ROGER. 



268 



THE GOTHIC CRYPT. 



Henry VI. ; while in an ancient Greek sarcophagus lie 
the ashes of Constantia of Aragon, wife of Frederick II. 
In the annexed representation, the porphyry tomb of 
the potent founder of the Norman monarchy appears 
supported upon the shoulders of kneeling Saracens, and 
the tablet below bears the following inscription : — . 

Quieti et Pace 
Rogerii strenui Ducis, et primi Regis Sicilise. 
Mortuus est Panormi Febvuario mense 
Anno mcliv. 

These monuments, as Mr. Knight informs us, originally 
stood in the cathedral of Cefalu, founded by King 
Roger, and where he had originally intended to be 
interred ; but as he was buried in Palermo, the Emperor 
Frederick caused the two vacant sarcophagi to be re- 
moved hither to receive his father's ashes and his own. 
They have been repeatedly opened. 

The crypt beneath the east end of the church is 
characterized by dwarf pillars and intersecting Gothic 
arches, without any admixture of Saracenic style. It 
contains twenty-four tombs, the most conspicuous among 
them being that of the Archbishop Frederick of Antiochia, 
covered by a lid with the effigy of an armed warrior, be- 
longing to the Renaissance period ; and the sarcophagus 
of the founder, Gualterio Offamilio, and several of Greek 
character appropriated to different archbishops of the 
See. 



MONASTEEIO DELLA PIETA. 



209 




CRYPT OF THE CATHEDRAL. 



From this period the pointed arch came more into 
vogue, until a further transition of style took place. 
Of this we have a curious specimen in the Monasterio 
clella Pieta, originally the Palazzo Patella, built in 1495, 
by Francesco Patella, a knight of Palermo, as appears by 
the following inscription, the original being in Latin : — 

The king is my witness of the battles which I have waged 
against the French and Spaniards under the Sicilian sovereign, 
who has bestowed titles on my fidelity, honours on my valour, 
and wealth to reward my well-deserving military service : I now 
erect splendid palaces instead of camps, that I may here enjoy 
the riches acquired by my blood. 



270 



SICILIAN RELIGIOUS HOUSES. 



As Patella had no male heirs, he bequeathed his palace 
and estates to the Church on his decease in 1526. The 
square-headed portal is exceedingly curious, and presents 
some remarkable architectural details. 

At the present day this building is a nunnery, as 
would appear alone from the grating with which the 
windows are covered. In perambulating the city, one 
is everywhere struck with the long heavy galleries in 
the upper story of the houses, giving painful evidence 
of the number of these institutions at Palermo, as in 
other parts of the island. The monastic system was first 
introduced into Sicily by Gregory the Great, and was 
almost destroyed by the Saracens ; but King Roger the 
Norman not only re-established it, but with his family 
and successors founded a host of monasteries and con- 
vents, and endowed them with extensive landed property. 
Their number, no longer suited to the spirit of the age, 
is disproportionably great in Sicily ; but they are found 
to be convenient receptacles for the younger branches 
of noble families, both male and female, who, destitute 
alike of fortune or occupation, here pass a life of enforced 
celibacy, rusting away their faculties in their monotonous 
and gloomy abodes. 

These convents, as before observed, confer quite a 
peculiar physiognomy on the streets of Palermo. The 
white and pale faces of the nuns are seen, as you pass 
along, peering down, often with no incurious eye, and, 



A POOR ARISTOCRACY. 



271 



it is to be feared, too often with a longing heart, upon 
the forbidden world beneath them. The " Parlatorio " 
of the building usually displays an amusing scene. This 
is a large entry, having a certain number of orifices grated 
over, at which the inmates of the convent converse with 
their relations and friends. It is also the rendezvous 
of a number of poor dependants upon the bounty of the 
establishment, hanging about with an air of real or 
affected devotion ; among whom may frequently be seen 
a poor old invalid, in the last stage of decrepitude, follow- 
ing out with trembling finger the knotty propositions 
contained in some pious treatise. 

Besides this disproportion of religious establishments 
and of the regular clergy in Sicily, there is another im- 
portant peculiarity of its society — the monstrous number 
of noblemen ; only the elder branches being adequately 
provided for, while the younger, forbidden to marry, and 
too proud to devote themselves to trade, encumber all 
the walks of society, and are often found to be lament- 
ably degraded both in position and character. Another 
is the extraordinary proportion of lawyers ; there being, 
according to Smyth, no less than 4000 advocates, 
solicitors, notaries, clerks, &c, in a city containing 
200,000 souls. These, however, form the basis of a 
middle class, which is gradually growing up with the 
increase of trade, and with the more equal distribution 
of the land effected since the downfal of feudalism ; and 



272 



THE FUTURE OF SICILY. 



to the growth of such a class, under a constitutional 
Government, we must look for a main element in the 
future regeneration of the people. 

Much was expected from the administration of Victor 
Emmanuel ; and if a Golden Age has not yet been in- 
augurated, it is but just to admit that a considerable 
improvement has already been effected. The social 
health is sounder, and the condition of all classes pre- 
sents evident signs of amelioration. Let us hope that 
a wise, firm rule will gradually develop the abundant 
resources of this fertile country, and promote a spirit of 
independence and a love of order among its ingenious 
population. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



ENVIRONS OF PALERMO — CONVENT OF SAN MARTINO — ITS CORRIDOR AND GARDENS — 

THE LIBRARY— A LITERARY IMPOSTURE CASTLE OF SAN BENEDETTO PLAIN OF 

PALERMO — ORIGIN OF MONREALE THE TOWN THE CATHEDRAL — ITS GORGEOUS 

INTERIOR — ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTERISTICS — PICTURE OF ST. BENEDICT, BY IL 

MONREALESE THE CLOISTER A LUXURIANT LANDSCAPE PRINCIPAL BUILDINGS 

OF PALERMO FURTHER VISITS TO THE ENVIRONS — THE VILLAS OF BAGARIA 

PRINCE PALAGONIA — A COLLECTION OF ODDITIES— FISHERIES OF PALERMO — 

TUNNY -FISHING INTERIOR OF SICILY CHARACTER OF ITS INHABITANTS — 

ROBBERS, AND THE " COMPAGNI D' ARMI " AN ADVENTURE WITH BANDITTI — A 

VISIT INTO THE INTERIOR VILLAROSA MISERICORDIA THE ANCIENT ENNA — 

ERUPTION OF MOUNT ETNA— TERMINI CATHEDRAL OF CEFALU TRAPANI- 

MARSALA, THE ANCIENT LILYB/EUM ITS WHITE WINE A PICTURESQUE GROUP 

OF ISLANDS MARSALA THE END. 



convent of San Martino and the Cathedral of Monreale. 
The road lay across the rich plain of Palermo as far as 
the wild village of Bocca di Falco, the entrance of the 
gorge which gives access to the mountains in whose bosom 
the convent is buried. On the left of the road stands a 
royal villa, very picturesquely situated. Striking into a 

(212) 13 




274 



CONVENT OF SAN MARTINO. 



narrow rugged glen, we continued to ascend gradually 
until we obtained a lovely view of Palermo, the plaiu, 
and the sea. At length this faded away; the glen gave 
place to a cultivated valley, still overhung with lofty 
mountains, till, in about half an hour more, the vast 
facade of the convent of San Martino rose suddenly 
amidst the ' solitude like some creation of romance. What 
added to its effect was the total absence of surrounding 
habitations, and almost of human life. On reaching the 
lodge-gates, we found them ruinous and deserted, the 
court-yard neglected and dirty, while not a human being 
came forth to reconnoitre or welcome us. Nevertheless, 
few palaces in Europe are more vast and imposing than 
this convent : troops of liveried lacqueys might lounge 
beneath its portals, and regiments manoeuvre upon the 
esplanade in front. 

Striking across the court-yard, we gained the area of 
the building, and found two or three lay servants saun- 
tering idly about the door. One of them went to sum- 
mon the individual whose business it is to show strangers 
over the building, and in a few moments he made his 
appearance, furnished with a bunch of keys. He led 
the way along an immense corridor, having on one side 
the apartments — for it would be a misnomer to call them 
cells — pertaining to this monastic brotherhood, who, it 
should be observed, are all of noble extraction. On the 
other side the corridor was open, and looked down into 



SILENCE AND SOLITUDE. 



275 



a garden, in the formal style, with a fountain in the 
centre, but with hedges of clipped box, and a rich variety 
of flowers exhaling the most delicious odours. This 
corridor runs into one which traverses the building in its 
entire length, and is intersected by another crossing it 
in the opposite direction. The dimensions and style of 
the edifice are right royal. Standing at the intersection 
of these immense avenues — deliciously cool, and redolent 
of the mountain breezes — at one end is seen an artificial 
cascade pouring over a grotto covered with aquatic plants, 
and adding to the refreshing coolness, while at the other 
the view extends beyond the summits of the mountains 
an immense distance over the blue Mediterranean. 

From this, the first floor of the edifice, we descended 
to the lower by the grand staircase. Here it was almost 
impossible to fancy oneself in a building devoted to 
retirement from the world. It would have seemed the 
entrance of some royal palace, trodden by the footsteps 
of courtiers and beauties, but for the unnatural silence 
and solitude that reigned around, and produced an in- 
voluntary melancholy. In pacing the corridors we had 
encountered and bowed to a few of the noble recluses, 
plainly dressed in. robes of black serge, but having a 
certain air of distinction, mingled, as we could not help 
thinking, with an expression of mental vacancy and in- 
sufferable lassitude. 

The library came next, which contains some interesting 



276 



A LITERARY IMPOSTURE. 



manuscripts, and — strange in such a place — a copy of 
Luther's works ! It was kept carefully locked up, and 
appeared to be but little visited. Our way then lay 
down-stairs to the kitchen, where signs of greater activity 
were apparent. In the refectory, which for obvious rea- 
sons adjoins the cuisine, the cloth was laid for about 
forty or fifty brethren, who might well seem a mere 
handful in a building of such enormous size. A visit to 
the sacristy, chapel, and museum, completed our examina- 
tion. They contain but few objects worthy of especial 
notice, save one or two specimens of the works of Mon- 
realese. 

In this library originated one of the most curious 
instances of literary imposture ever known. The Abbate 
Yella, a Maltese, on returning from a visit to Constan- 
tinople, pretended that he had recovered the lost books 
of Livy, preserved in an Arabian manuscript. One day, 
on looking over another Arabian manuscript, in company 
with an ambassador of Morocco, he suddenly exclaimed 
that he had lighted upon a most curious document, a 
history of Sicily during the reign of the Saracens. The 
attention of the learned was drawn to this new dis- 
covery, and six volumes were subscribed for, and already 
in the press, when, as ill luck would have it, one of 
those long-headed Germans, who, as it has been said, 
" see further into a millstone than other people," attracted 
by the renown of this new treasure, happened to come 



A CASTLE OF INDOLENCE. 



277 



to the spot, and being a good Oriental scholar, pronounced 
and proved the whole affair to be a rank and scandalous 
imposture. 

The place produced a somewhat saddening effect upon 
the mind. There was a painful discrepancy between 
such an edifice and the purpose for which it was in- 
tended. Magnificent as it was, a certain dreariness and 
ennui evidently pervaded its vast and echoing corridors, 
strongly reminding one of the " Castle of Indolence " of 
the poet. We breathed more freely when, without its 
walls, threading the stony path which leads over the 
mountains to Monreale. About half a mile distant we 
paused to take a farewell view of the pile, buried among 
wild and desolate peaks, but surrounded with groves of 
pine and almond-trees. At a turn of the road it sud- 
denly vanished from our sight, like some gorgeous 
dream. 

Perched upon the summit of a lofty mountain over- 
hanging the valley, is an old gray building, now deserted, 
called the Castle of St. Benedetto, generally considered 
to be an ancient Saracenic fortress, converted into a 
monastery by William the Good. Shortly after passing 
this hoary pile we reached the top of the wild pass, and 
one of the most striking views in Sicily was suddenly 
disclosed. The plain of Palermo, surrounded by lofty 
mountains, and open on one side to the Mediterranean, 
appeared below like a vast garden densely planted witli 



278 



AN ANCIENT LEGEND. 



orange and olive groves, and interspersed with corn-fields 
and vineyards, terminated by the capital, with its white 
buildings and domes, and the blue sea beyond. On a 
spur of the mountain, and communicating with Palermo 
by a road four miles in length, stood the town (pop. 
15,638) and cathedral of Monreale, to which, dismount- 
ing, we descended on foot by a very rugged pathway. 
As we entered the town we could not but remark that 
filth and misery seemed entrenched around this magnifi- 
cent foundation of the Norman king. 

As to its origin, the popular legend, but it must be 
confessed a very doubtful one, is as follows : — The site 
was formerly covered with a wild forest, whither William 
II. repaired from Palermo to indulge in the favourite 
amusement of hunting. Overtaken by slumber after his 
fatigues, the Virgin Mary appeared to him in a vision, 
and desired him to erect a church in her honour on the 
very spot. The pious monarch determined to surpass 
all his former efforts, and an edifice soon arose, which, 
though different in style from, might vie in extent and 
splendour with, any of the cathedrals erected by the 
Norman kings in England or France. The most cele- 
brated artists — Greek, Italian, and Saracenic — were em- 
ployed in its construction and adornment, and it remains 
a splendid monument of that singular and often gorgeous, 
though some may think incongruous, combination of 
styles already observed in the Cappella Reale at Palermo. 



THE EOYAL MOUNT. 



279 



To the cathedral was attached a monastery, a town 
speedily grew up around it, and the place, in honour of 
its founder, received the name of Monreale, or the 
Royal Mount. 

Externally, it must be admitted, this cathedral is but 
little imposing. Here are none of the lofty towers, 
decorated windows, and ponderous buttresses of our 
grand northern churches. The sides of the edifice are 
plain, and but poorly relieved by a few small lights. 
The dome is insignificant ; there is indeed a tower, 
which is plain and devoid of style ; but the east end (of 
which an engraving is annexed) presents a very remark- 
able specimen of the tall and slender pillars, interlacing 
arches, and elaborate mosaics peculiar to this style of 
architecture. Great richness and piquancy are produced 
by the style of ornamentation, the arches being formed 
of alternate blocks of black and white stones, and the 
panels diversified with various devices and colours. The 
general effect of this style of architecture is very grace- 
ful, especially when seen under the brilliant light of a 
southern sun. 

No other portion of the exterior exhibits the same 
style ; the west front is uninteresting, if we except the 
great portal, which is exceedingly elaborate, displaying 
the same combination of Grecian scroll-work and mosaic, 
curiously intermingled with the Norman zigzag moulding. 
It encloses a magnificent bronze door, adorned with 



280 



A FLORENTINE ARTIST. 




INTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL OF MONREALE. 



Scripture subjects and arabesques, equal in dimensions 
and of similar style with those that adorn the cathedrals 
of Florence and Pisa. From an inscription at the bottom, 
it appears to be the work of Bonanno, a celebrated 
artist of the last-mentioned city, and cast in the year 
1186. 

When the immense bronze doors are suddenly thrown 



A MEDLEY OF STYLES. 



281 



open, the effect of the interior, covered with gold and 
mosaic, and sunk in a rich half-shadow, is indescribably 
gorgeous. The nave, ample and spacious, resembles a 
basilica, rather than the vaulted edifice of the north. 
The design is exceedingly simple ; a range of massive 
pillars of different coloured marbles, taken from ancient 
Roman buildings, and surmounted by capitals, some of 
them antique, and others rich in device and execution, 
evidently carved by Greek workmen. The arches above 
are slightly pointed ; a range of slender lights above 
them casts a subdued lio-ht into the edifice, which is 
surmounted by a rich flat roof, gorgeously carved and 
decorated. There is a single aisle running behind the 
nave, and the east end consists of three apses, that in 
the centre being of course the largest. 

As before observed, the architecture exhibits several 
styles most curiously blended together. The form of 
the building is a Latin cross, dictated no doubt by the 
founder ; but, except the pointed arches, which are 
utterly unlike those of our cathedrals, nothing of what 
we call Gothic architecture is here to be seen. The 
pillars are Roman, the capitals from a Greek chisel, and 
the mosaics by artists of the Byzantine school, probably 
engaged for the express purpose. These mosaics, with 
which the greater part of the interior is covered, confer 
upon it a distinctive character. They are wrought upon 
a gold ground, in the same peculiar design as those in 



232 



a patntee's masterpiece. 



the Cappella Palatina, and exhibit a series of Scripture 
incidents. Predominating the whole is a colossal head 
of the Saviour in the central apse, which produces, as it 
was intended to do, an awful and striking effect. But 
this is not all ; the marble panelling of the side aisles, 
the ornamental devices, and the decorations of the roofing, 
are strikingly Saracenic, while Norman peculiarities of 
detail are curiously intermingled with the rest. Com- 
bining as it does so many styles nowhere else seen in 
juxtaposition, and wrought into one grand whole by the 
master-mind of the architect, the cathedral of Monreale 
is undoubtedly the most curious as well as magnificent 
monument of the period which gave it birth. 

From the cathedral it is but a step across the square to 
the monastery. Here, before entering the cloister, we 
paused a moment on the staircase to examine a splendid 
painting by II Monrealese Pietro Novelli, probably the 
chef-d'oeuvre of this artist, representing St. Benedict dis- 
tributing his rule to the chiefs of the various religious 
orders inspired by him, under the symbolical form of 
bread. Some of the heads are admirably beautiful, and 
the picture deserves the closest attention from the con- 
noisseur. In the cavalier near the tree the artist has 
painted his own portrait. 

From the entrance of the convent a passage leads into 
the extensive cloister adjoining the south side of the 
cathedral. Here is another beautiful and characteristic 



THE NORMAN CLOISTER. 



283 




THE CLOISTER AT MONREALE. 



specimen of the mixed architecture of the time of the 
Norman kings, the cloister as well as the edifice being 
the work of William II. It is surrounded by an 
immense number of single or coupled pillars, the angles 
having four, surmounted by small pointed arches of 
peculiar form. All are elaborately ornamented, and 
display a fertility of design and delicacy of execution 
truly extraordinary, no two resembling each other. 
Some of the capitals are full of grotesque figures and 
heads ; in others, to suit the Norman taste, knights 
engaged in battle are interwoven among the ornaments • 



284 



COLUMN AND FOUNTAIN. 



while many present the most beautiful combinations of 
fruit, flowers, and animals. The slender columns are 
sometimes wreathed with foliage, sometimes inlaid with 
brilliant mosaic. At one angle of the cloister a square 
recess contains a marble fountain with an ornamental 
pillar adorned in the Saracenic style. Though the detail 
is not Saracenic, yet the relative proportion of the shafts 
and capitals, and the general effect of the work, strikingly 
recall the Alhambra, except that the covered roofing is 
very plain. This cloister is sadly neglected, the mosaics 
falling out of the columns, and the whole place having a 
dirty and degraded look. 

Our view well exhibits both the character of the 
single, double, and quadruple pillars, and, so far as pos- 
sible on this small scale, the general style of ornamenta- 
tion. The Norman tower, with its slender lancets, 
plain and massive in character, appears at the extremity 
of the cloister, above which is seen the body of the 
church. On the other side of the cloister are the ruinous 
walls of the refectory. 

There is no sort of inn in Monreale, and our noonday 
repast consisted of a stupendous bunch of grapes, pur- 
chased for one halfpenny from a neighbouring fruit stall, 
and bearing as undeniable testimony to the richness of 
the surrounding soil, as every object around did to the 
squalid misery of the population. This, however, to an 
English eye, is no doubt often more apparent than real. 



A SCENE OF BEAUTY. 



285 



Beneath a genial climate and a cloudless sky but little 
suffices for mere bodily support ; and the natives, totally 
destitute — from the highest to the lowest — of a sense of 
all that we call comfort, vegetate contentedly in a state 
of nastiness from one generation to another. 

Having seen the cathedral, there was nothing to 
detain us in Monreale, and we began to descend the hill 
towards Palermo. What a scene of luxurious beauty 
expands below ! Aloes, their stems twenty feet high, 
shoot up with astonishing vigour from among the lumps 
of rock ; the prickly pear extends its impenetrable 
thickets ; immense orange-groves, dense and velvety, 
extending for more than a mile in one unbroken mass, 
completely cover the bed of the valley. Here and there 
a white house peeps up among the thick foliage ; and 
lofty mountains, rugged and brown, and of abrupt for- 
mation, shelter that intoxicating luxury of verdure 
peculiar to the most favoured spots in the south. 
Through this the road, adorned with fountains and 
vases, descends by rapid traverses towards Palermo, 
which basks in sunshine upon the margin of the Medi- 
terranean. What is wanting to such a scene as this ? 
To a southern eye probably nothing : to an English the 
verdure of meadows and pastures, and the rustic neatness 
that spreads such a charm over the face of a country, 
even when devoid of any striking natural features. Yet 
the plain of Palermo may challenge comparison for 



280 



BUILDINGS OF PALERMO. 



richness and beauty with any similar scene on the 
Mediterranean ; and, in gazing upon it, we cannot 
wonder that by Saracen and Norman alike it was 
regarded as an earthly paradise, and adorned by them 
with the utmost refinement of horticultural and archi- 
tectural splendour. 

We have here described only the principal buildings 
in Palermo. To the architectural student there are 
many others worthy of attentive observation, as showing 
the transition of style, — such as San Francesco d' Assisi, 
built in 1255; San Agostino, at the close of the thir- 
teenth century; San Giacomo la Marina, 1100—1130; 
Santa Caterina, 1566—1596; San Nicolo 1' Albergaria, 
1409; Santa Maria dello Spasimo, 1506; Santa Maria 
della Catena, about 1370; and others. In domestic 
architecture, the Palazzo de' Tribunali, begun in 1307, 
the Spedale Grande, and the Vecchio Dogana, are all of 
them curious and interesting specimens. 

After dwelling so long upon the churches and build- 
ings of Palermo, it may perhaps be a relief to the reader 
to go forth into the environs. We have already described 
Monreale, San Martino, Monte Pellegrino, and Santa 
Maria di Gesu. Let us now devote a page or two to 
the villas with which the Palermitan noblemen have 
studded the neighbourhood of their capital. These, it 
must be confessed, are not much after our own fashion 



A VISIT TO BAGAMA. 



287 



— displaying rather the eccentricity than good taste of 
their contrivers. Not having paid much attention to 
them myself, I am indebted to others for the following 
descriptions. Bagaria, about nine miles from Palermo, 
on the coast road to Messina, is quite made up of villas. 
"Here," Mrs. Starke tells us, "is a whimsical villa, 
built by Prince Palagonia, who squandered a large estate 
in having all the most hideous combinations of beings, 
real and imaginary, represented by the best sculptors he 
could engage to work for him ; and a few scattered 
monsters, on the approach to the villa, together with a 
semicircular court, still remaining, show how successfully 
he gratified his eccentric taste." Looking-glass ceilings, 
and walls covered with painted imitations of marble, 
rendered more deceptive by a covering of glass, are still 
further proofs of the bad taste of the proprietor. But 
the best description of these curious places is from the 
lively pen of an American writer. 

"We had a valet-de-place, who directed our move- 
ments first to the suburb called Olivuzza, a quarter of 
ancient and noble villas, of which we visited two — those 
of the Prince of Kadili and the Duca di Serra-di-falco — 
with extended and delicious gardens, parks imitated from 
England, but with all the different foliage of the Sicilian 
climate. Superb magnolia grandifloras, long alleys of 
oleander, groves of lemon and orange, big as apple-trees; 
labyrinths of jessamine and aloe, and every prodigality 



288 



LOST IN A LABYRINTH. 



of shrub and tree, and garden contrivances ; fountains, 
temples, statues, quaint imitation ruins of aqueduct and 
abbey, moss-grown, Tin tern-like, and picturesque ; aviaries, 
making the lawns vocal, and a' that ; little lakes with 
little sleeping Moseses, pedestaled in bulrushes : all 
which, as usual, made me wish for you. 

"One little freak of fancy of some ancestral Serra-di- 
falco made me wish for the little ones rather, although 
contrived for the amusement of children of a larger 
growth. The guide conducted us aside from the principal 
avenues, and we entered a narrow walk through thickly- 
tangled shrubs of every description, made to look like a 
wilderness gone to seed, with tall cypresses and yews to 
give it a dash of gloomy. Presently the path grew 
winding and rugged ; we descended miniature cliffs, and 
walked through dells labyrinthine, until at length we 
pronounced ourselves as lost as the Babes in the Wood, 
and we cried like starlings, 'Can't get out.' A few 
more turns, and a rustic hut, built of logs, weeds, and 
moss, appeared to offer a little respite. Three rude 
steps conducted to the door, and the guide motioned us 
to walk in. I was a little in advance, and had no 
sooner put my foot on the first step, than the door flew 
open, and a venerable hermit, in cowl and sandals, with 
long gray beard and hollow cheeks, rose indignantly from 
his table, and angrily motioned us away. I jumped 
backward ten feet by ' Shrewsbury ' cloth-yard, and the 



A SINGULAE DECEPTION. 



289 



door closed with a bang. Once more upon the breach, 
however, and as I reached the platform the gestures of 
the monk became furious ; his mouth opened wide, and 
his eyes rolled with rage. The conceit is capital, and 
at first the appearance of the automaton deceived me 
altogether. An ancient musty volume of Latin manu- 
script lay open on the table, and the relics of a few 
withered roots, on which the holy man appeared to have 
dined some weeks before, were spread upon a trencher. 
Certain springs and wires connect with the figure and 
door from the steps, and an unsuspecting visitor can be 
startled a good deal. It appears my friends had made 
researches in guide books, and had some suspicions of 
the circumstance : I therefore, unlearned in authorities, 
was cunningly allowed to go forwards, and reach the 
roasted chestnuts from the fire. 

" After some examination of the affair, we walked 
away, following the guide, and supposing we were on 
our return ; the path became more artificially wild, 
however, and there was a still 

' Browner horror o'er the woods.' 

At length we reached another hermitage. A twice-told 
tale, thought I, and felt quite like a lion. Why in the 
world, though, did my companions still hang back ? 
More roasted chestnuts, perhaps : so, Mr. Guide, do you 
come along also. He led me to the extreme end of the 

(212) 29 



290 



A PRACTICAL JOKE. 



step, and bade me mount, which I did. Immediately, 
as I supposed, the door flew open, but with the accom- 
paniment of five or six little waterspouts, and streams 
shot about me in every direction, except precisely where 
the guide had placed me. Within the cell, a hermit 
also was discovered at a table, but this was a jolly Friar 
Tuck ; and as the waterspouts were dashing about from 
the key-hole, the door-sill, the table-legs, and so forth, 
his mouth opened from ear to ear, and ' Laughter holding 
both his sides ' was graphic in the attitudes and tickled 
expression of this most holy man. His pax vobiscums 
and benedicites were waved to us from the very fountain- 
head of the fun ; and his laughing was more infectious 
than the varioloid in Philadelphia: it would be catching 
for three months rather than the three weeks prescribed 
by your neighbours as the proper period for infection. 
Laughing was performed to the life by everybody ; and 
when I found I had just precisely escaped a ducking, I 
struck crescendo into the chorus. The whole fun was 
put in action by the steps, and the trick of the ducking 
could be deliciously played by allowing the visitor to 
mount any other portion of the steps than just pre- 
cisely where we stood. No doubt many a fair Serra- 
di-falco signorina has thus thrown cold water on her 
beaux." 

The present Duke of Serra-di-falco has honourably 
distinguished himself by his excellent and costly publi- 



THE TUNNY FISHERY. 



291 



cations upon the antiquities of his native island, which 
deserve to rank among works of permanent value and 
interest. 

In walking round the harbour we are struck with 
the number of large fishing-boats, and with the hardy 
appearance of the boatmen. The fisheries of Palermo 
are,' indeed, very important, emplo}dng, according to 
Admiral Smyth, not less than 4000 of the population, 
formed into a regular corporation, having surgeons, a 
chaplain, and other officers. The principal fish taken 
is the tunny, which, though it was highly esteemed by 
the Greeks, Carthaginians, and Romans, and is no less 
so by the modern Palermitans, proves but little accept- 
able to an English palate at the present day. Never- 
theless, it forms here one of the chief articles of food, 
and may be seen in the season at every corner of the 
streets, butchered into steaks, being from four to eight 
feet in length. Of the mode of taking the tunny, an 
interesting account is given by Smyth. This fish is 
gregarious ; the shoals enter the Mediterranean early in 
the year, with an extended base for the tides to act 
upon, as they swim broad, deep, and in a conical form. 
In the progress of the shoal to the eastward, it inclines 
over towards the European coasts, and the tunny is 
caught in great abundance during the months of May, 
June, and July. The manner of catching them is similar 
to that practised by the ancients : large nets are spread 



292 



HOW THE TUNNY 13 CAUGHT. 



oat in the shape of a parallelogram, about 1500 feet 
long, 300 wide, and from 40 to 100 deep, divided into 
four quadrilateral spaces, called rooms, having channels 
of communication with each other. These nets are 
moved east and west, at about a mile distant from the 
shore, across the known route of the fish, with each of 
the spaces at right angles, and secured vertically by a 
number of anchors aud stones at the bottom, while the 
upper edge of the net is floated by large logs of the 
cork-tree and other light wood. The whole is then 
connected with the shore by a stout single net of very 
wide meshes, called "the wall," or by others, "il codardo," 
that arrests the progress of the tunny, and induces them 
to enter the outer room, called the "bordonaro," which 
is thereupon raised a little, and closed by the boatmen 
on the look out. The fish, alarmed, and seeking to 
escape, then swim from side to side, and thus enter the 
next room, or "bastardo," when their retreat is again 
prevented, and thus successively into the "picolo," until 
they finally enter the fatal part called the "corpo," or 
chamber of death. "When by these means the chamber 
is filled, which sometimes occupies two or three days, 
large flat-floored boats, peculiarly constructed for the 
purpose, assisted by many smaller ones, close round, and 
weighing the net, secure the prey with harpoons, and 
another species of sharp hook on a wooden staff, that is 
struck into the head to prevent the fish from floundering, 



THE SICILIAN CHARACTER. 



293 



and in the management of which weapon the fishermen 
display an active dexterity. 

In drawing to a close these brief sketches of the 
principal objects of interest in and abont Palermo, a few 
words may be added upon the character of its population. 
According to their own writers, the Palermitans, and the 
Sicilians in general, are fond of novelty, hasty in speech, 
vivid of imagination, and so sensitive as to take fire at 
the most trifling offence. Affable, friendly, and bene- 
volent, they are no less litigious, obstinate, and suspicious. 
Foreigners long resident among them complain of a 
certain insensibility as to the "point of honour." Some 
of their faults are inherent to a southern constitution, 
others probably result from bad political institutions and 
a defective social condition. They are proud of the 
ancient glories of their country, and earnestly desirous of 
working out her political regeneration. Among their 
virtues, beneficence is very conspicuous ; witness the 
numerous charitable establishments founded by the Paler- 
mitan nobility and clergy. The proceedings of the 
Government show that they are sensible of the necessity 
of effecting practical reforms ; and now that they are 
part and parcel of a constitutional kingdom, we believe 
they will develop the immense resources of their country, 
and gradually ameliorate its social condition. 

The interior of Sicily is but little visited ; and, 
although it may here and there present a few remarkable 



294 



INTERIOR OF SICILY. 



spots, on the whole will scarcely repay the trouble of 
exploring, especially as the accommodation is perfectly 
detestable. It is possible that traces of the Siculi may 
exist in some of the towns. The scenery in general is 
bald, dreary, and uninviting. There is a good road 
across the very centre of the island, from Palermo to 
Aderno, whence it divides into two branches, leading to 
Messina and Catania. On one occasion I was induced 
to take a place in the mail which travels this road, and 
had reason to repent of the speculation. Although the 
coach was only adapted for four persons, six were 
remorselessly crammed inside. There were, we under- 
stood, no inns on the whole line of road, a distance of 
two hundred English miles. Nothing can give a better 
index to the state of the country. Fancy not a single 
decent inn on the road between York and London ! We 
were accordingly obliged to carry cold provisions, and 
found the greatest difficulty in getting even fresh bread, 
eggs, and coffee, at the wretched post-houses on the 
route. By degrees, as the road is more travelled, things 
will no doubt mend ; but the steamers take by far the 
greater number of passengers. 

The wildness of the country, the want of roads, and, 
above all, the disorganization of society arising from a 
government which was at once tyrannical and feeble, 
caused Sicily to be infested with bands of robbers, whose 
numbers, however, were considerably reduced, mainly by 



A HIGHWAY ROBBERY. 



295 



the exertions of certain armed companies — " compagni 
d'armi" — who were paid for clearing the road on condition 
that they made good all losses. An improved police-system 
has worked admirably, though now and then a robbery 
still occurs. This was the case two or three nights after 
I left Palermo, as I afterwards learned from a " commis 
voyageur" one of the passengers. "At midnight," he 
said, "we were crossing a steep mountain, and the 
postilion asked us to get down and walk. We had 
advanced a good way before the coach, when we 
suddenly beheld flashes of fire from the high bank above 
the road, accompanied by the report of carbines. Upon 
this we took to our heels, and ran a considerable distance 
up the road, when we heard the rumbling of wheels, and 
fancying the robbers had got into the coach in order to 
pursue us, we plunged among the thickets, and dispersed 
in different directions. For my own part, I was so 
terrified that I scrambled in the dark up to the top of a 
high mountain, where I remained till dawn. I then 
ventured to descend to a peasant's cottage, and shortly 
after fell in with the other passengers, half perished with 
cold and fright. Accompanied by the peasants, we now 
ventured cautiously to return to the road, where we found 
the coach and conductor, who had received a severe 
beating from the robbers. These men, it seems, had by 
some means found out that a large sum of money had 
been sent from a bank at Palermo to Catania, which they 



296 



AMONG THE HILLS. 



succeeded in carrying off. I was afraid that our baggage 
would ha,ve gone after it, in which case I should have 
been obliged to return to Leghorn for fresh specimens ; 
but what was my relief on seeing my boxes of cottons 
and calicoes perched safely on the top of the coach ! " 

Our own adventures on this road were more fortunate ; 
and, in truth, English travellers, at all times, seem exempt 
from depredation. Leaving Palermo at night, we were next 
morning among the Nebrodian hills, which, celebrated as 
they were by the ancients, seemed to us wild and dreary 
without being grand and picturesque. Here and there shot 
up some isolated, jagged peak of rock. The population is 
gathered into small towns, for the most part perched on 
lofty and almost inaccessible heights. The appearance 
of the few peasants we met was rugged and melancholy 
as the surrounding landscape, and the few little villages 
that lay on our road seemed perfectly antediluvian. 
Here and there, as at Valle Lunga, which we reached at 
noon, we came upon some beautiful valley smiling with 
vineyards and olives, relieving the general tameness and 
dreariness of the route. We made a short halt at Villa- 
rosa (pop. 3696), a dreary town, full of asses laden with 
sulphur from the mines of Monte Mannaro, this being the 
most important article of exportation from the island. 

The evening fell as we toiled up a steep winding road 
to the small station of Misericordia, one of the most 
remarkable scenes in the whole island. From the post- 



SCENEEY OF MISERICORDIA. 



297 



house in the valley below appear two crags of almost 
inaccessible steepness — that on the left covered with the 
picturesque old town of Calascibetta ; and tha/t on the 
right, even more abrupt and rugged, with the ancient 
towers of Castrogiovanni, the ancient Enna, sacred to 
the goddess Ceres. The whole of this neighbourhood is 
full of classic interest, and its beauties are the subject of 
eulogy by the old writers. Power informs us that " Ovid 
calls its climate a perpetual spring. Cicero admires its 
lovely flowers, nourishing at all seasons of the year. 
Plutarch exalts its freshness ; and Aristotle, Diodorus, 
Livy, Strabo, and the Greek and Roman writers in 
general, dwell upon the woods, lakes, and waters, and 
verdure, which render it so delightful a sojourn, though 
to modern travellers these eulogies appear somewhat 
overstrained. Its situation was described as impregnable 
by Livy ; and its lofty platform, rising in the very centre 
• of the island, commands a boundless prospect over its 
plains and mountains and valleys, among which Etna 
towers up with conspicuous grandeur." The air and 
climate of this favoured spot are considered to be very 
fine ; and nothing can surpass the richness of the vines 
which ripen upon its sunny flanks. There are no ruins 
of any consequence at Castrogiovanni (pop. 13,747) ; but 
four miles distant lies the Lake of Pergusa, supposed to 
be the crater of an extinguished volcano ; the scenery 
around it is said hardly to repay the trouble of a visit. 



298 



NOTES FKOM A JOURNAL. 



Leaving Castrogiovanni, the road passes through 
Leonforte (pop. 11,522) to Aderno (pop. 12,250), near 
the base of Mount Etna, and already described in the 
tour around it. I observed in a previous chapter that 
Signor Gemellaro prognosticated a fresh eruption of the 
volcano, which indeed took -place while the first edition 
of this volume was passing through the press. Of this, 
in the absence of fuller details, the following lively 
notice, recording the adventures of a company of 
travellers from Malta, may be interesting : — ■ 

"At 8 p.m. of the 20th of August 1852, a party of 
English, composed of three ladies and as many gentlemen, 
with three guides, three muleteers, a servant, and eleven 
mules, left Nicolosi with an intention of ascending 
Mount Etna., and taking shelter at the Casa degli Inglesi. 
At 11 o'clock the party, in excellent spirits, reached the 
Bosco, where they put on their light clothing. The wind 
was blowing fresh from the westward ; so much so, • 
indeed, that the guides persuaded a small Italian party 
to defer their ascent till the morning, but could not 
succeed with, our friends, the leader of whom had 
weathered too many stiff breezes at sea to turn his back 
on one on shore ; on, therefore, they went. 

" Passing the Bosco about two miles, the huge crater 
below Etna, called the Colossi, glared awfully, and 
shortly threw up large bodies of fire and smoke. Im- 
mediately after, Etna vomited forth its fire and ashes ; 



ERUPTION OF ETNA. 



299 



and as the wind set towards the Casa degli Inglesi, it 
was not prudent to seek its friendly shelter, as in all 
probability it would be destroyed ; their course was 
therefore changed, the Colossi being now the point to 
which it was directed. 

" The weather, which had been very cold, increased in 
its comfortless intensity ; and when our travellers had 
got above the height of the Casa degli Inglesi, in a 
narrow defile, of which sand and small lava were the 
component parts, they were overtaken by a hurricane so 
violent, that in an instant seven mules and their riders 
were blown over ; and not only so, but to render the 
scene more terrific, it was afterwards found they were 
blown to the very edge of the crater. 

" For the gentlemen to descend in search of their 
companions was the result of a moment's decision. At 
this time the scene was indescribably grand. Heaven 
and earth presented one magnificent glare of light — 
Etna above vomiting its sulphuric flames ; the Colossi 
below belching forth its dense masses of smoke, lurid 
from the furnace below ; the huge mountain pouring out 
from its interior prolonged moanings ; without, the 
hurricane roaring in all its mighty and awful majesty. 
Crawling on their knees and hands, unable to face the 
violence of the hurricane, the gentlemen sought the 
ladies, who were not discovered and collected together 
till after a search of twenty minutes. They were then 



coo 



INSIDE THE CRATER. 



placed under columns of lava, their light clothing literally 
blown off their backs, and a pyramid of living beings 
was formed around them for their safety and protection. 

"As by magic, the scene suddenly changed. An 
earthquake shook the land. Up jumped the guides, 
bawling their unmusical Avanti ! avanti ! (Get on ! get 
on ! ) ; mules broke from their keepers, and were 
abandoned to their fate ; the hurricane increased in 
strength. The scene around was too majestic for con- 
templation — too diversified for description. In ten 
minutes the little party had fallen from sheer exhaustion 
on the pointed lava. To face the wind charged with 
sand and small stones was beyond their power. In this 
manner two hours passed away, and most anxiously did 
they look for the approach of dawn. 

" Within the crater, which some of the party courage- 
ously examined, forty small furnaces were burning 
awfully ; these, as they reached Catania, seemed to 
amalgamate, and one vast issue appeared to carry 
destruction to some villages and pasture-lands, which, as 
reported, have been seriously injured. 

" Often has the indomitable courage of the soft sex, 
when tested, been proved to be greater than that of man. 
Nothing on this occasion could equal their more than 
heroism. On setting forth on their return, the sharp 
points of the lava presented no obstacle ; courageously 
did they undertake their six-mile walk, regardless of all 



RECENT OUTBREAKS. 



3C1 



inconveniences, and reached the Bosco at 7 A.M., when, 
after an .abstinence of sixteen hours, a hasty dejeuner 
was a welcome event. After spending a few minutes in 
this employment, they continued their journey by mules, 
and reached Nicolosi by 10, whence they started for 
Catania, which they reached at 2.30 P.M. The Italian 
party which had preceded them had reported their 
obstinacy in proceeding against the opinion of their 
guides, and this led to the natural report that they were 
numbered with the dead. 

"Their safety, indeed, is miraculous; for had rain 
ensued, as often happens before an eruption, they would 
have been washed away ; had the wind changed, they 
would have died under the sulphur-impregnated air. As 
it was, the Catanese turned out, and hailed the return of 
the brave party as of men and women miraculously 
saved from a fearful doom." 

The amount of injury caused by this eruption, which 
continued during the months of August and September, 
was considerable. Another violent eruption took place in 
1865, beginning on the first of February and terminat- 
ing in July. An outbreak also occurred in 1868. 

It remains very briefly to notice a few points of 
interest not visited by the author. We shall first select 
those on the post-road from Palermo to Messina, along 
the northern coast of the island. A diligence runs 



802 



THE CATHEDRAL OF CEFALU. 



between the two cities, but its progress is extremely 
tedious, and the accommodations, as usual, are very bad. 

After passing the Bay of Palermo, the first place of any 
note is Termini, "La Splendidissima " (pop. 23,193), 
called Thermas Himerenses, on account of its hot springs, 
and proximity to the site of the ancient Himera, whose 
citizens, flying from the latter when destroyed by 
Hannibal, in B.C. 408, built, as Cicero informs us, this 
new foundation. Some traces are still to be seen of its 
baths and amphitheatre, but hardly of interest enough to 
detain a traveller. Cefalu (pop. 11,183), the next city 
on the road, is a place of great interest, and boasts of a 
Norman cathedral, inferior only to that of Monreale. 
This building was erected by King Koger, who, on his 
passage from Salerno to Sicily in 1131, having been 
overtaken by a furious storm, vowed to the Saviour that 
if his life was spared, he would erect a cathedral upon 
the spot where he first set foot on land, which happened 
to be at Cefalu. It is believed that he first built, at his 
landing-place, a small church dedicated to St. George, 
and afterwards, further inland, the present imposing 
structure, of which Mr. Gaily Knight has given the best 
notice. It is a building of considerable size, in the 
shape of the Latin Cross, perfect and intact in all its 
principal parts. It consists of a nave, side aisles, and 
transepts, and has three apses at the east end, but no 
central tower. The choir and transepts are vaulted and 



PATTI THE MAGNANIMOUS. 



303 



groined. The nave has a wooden roof. All the arches 
are pointed, and as at Monreale, the apses are adorned 
with mosaics. The west porch has a semicircular arch, 
and is remarkably curious. As at Monreale, the outside 
of the east end is much enriched, and here may be seen 
a series of small semicircular arches, resting on grotesque 
heads, as in the churches of Normandy. To sum up, 
the Cathedral of Cefalu is indisputably in the pointed 
style, with a mixture of Norman, of Roman, of Greek, 
and of Byzantine in its ornaments and details. Inter- 
nally, "II Duomo " measures 230 feet by 90 feet. 

At Cefalu is also a curious Cyclopean wall, with a 
chamber, forming part of the old Greek city, which stood 
above the site of the present town. 

Hence there is no place of any importance till we 
reach Patti, " La Magnanima" (pop. 6930), whose chief 
interest is connected with the Norman period. In its 
cathedral, rebuilt in 1738, repose the ashes of Queen 
Adelasia, mother of the great King Roger, who'became 
the wife of Baldwin, king of Jerusalem ; but after two 
years' residence there, discovering that Baldwin had 
another wife living, returned to Sicily, and taking the 
veil, buried her grief and mortification in the convent 
founded here by her brother, and died in 1118. 

To Patti succeeds Tindaro, or Tyndaris, a place whose 
origin ascends to the mythic ages, being so called by its 
Messenian founders after Tyndarus, father of Leda, who 



304 



GARIBALDI AT MILAZZO. 



bore the twin brothers Castor and Pollux. Some 
trifling remains are found here, and the view from the 
rock is said to be remarkably grand. In the neighbour- 
hood is also a very curious grotto, well worthy of ex- 
amination. Off Capo Tindaro took place the famous 
sea-fight between Agrippa, the captain of Octavius 
\y 9Bsar, and Sextus Pompeius, in B.C. 36. Milazzo (pop. 
12,044) is the last place of note before we reach Mes- 
sina. It was the ancient Mylae, and in its fields 
pastured the famous Oxen of the Sun, slain, according to 
Homer, by the companions of Ulysses. Most of these 
ancient places have at the present day little besides their 
classical associations to recommend them. But Milazzo 
possesses a modern fame, having been captured by Gari- 
baldi and a handful of volunteers on the 20 th of July 
1860, after a most brilliant engagement with a superior 
and well-disciplined force. From Milazzo to Messina the 
road, in crossing the mountains, displays some most 
magnificent views. 

Westward and southward of Palermo, on the left of 
the road adopted by the author, are Trapani (pop. 
30,337), Marsala, and Mazzara. The first of these towns, 
the ancient Drepanon, is of most remote origin — probably 
settled by the Phoenicians — and its port, shaped like a 
scythe, is mentioned by Virgil, whose pious iEneas, on 
his wandering career, here celebrated funeral games in 
honour of his father Anchises. At the present day it is 



VENUS ERYCINA. 



305 



well fortified, and enriched by the tunny and coral fishery, 
but has little to show of either ancient or modern interest. 
From this place travellers often make the ascent of 
Monte S. Giuliano — the ancient Mount Eryx — already 
alluded to in the description of Segeste as celebrated for 
its temple of Venus Erycina, the most dissolute of the 
heathen deities, and the favourite haunt of the wealthy 
devotees of the goddess. Its immense riches remained 
untouched until seized by Hamilcar, who divided them 
amongst his soldiers — to which act of sacrilege was 
attributed the plague which shortly after broke out in 
his army. The statue of Venus was among the spoils 
carried away by the Romans. An ancient city, whose 
walls are still in existence, also stood on Mount Eryx, 
and has been succeeded by a modern town. Some faint 
traces of the famous temple still exist in the castle upon 
the summit of the mountain, the view from which would 
alone repay the trouble of an ascent. 

Marsala (pop. 28,939) is built upon the site of the 
ancient Lilybseum, one of the three promontories of Sicily, 
which gave the island its ancient name of Trinacria. 
The Phoenicians, it is believed, first settled here ; and the 
capacious port and its skilful pilots are mentioned by 
Virgil and Polybius. It was in this harbour that the 
Carthaginians landed before marching to destroy Seli- 
nunte, and it remained long afterwards their principal 
stronghold in the island — nor could the Romans take it 

(212) oq 



306 



MARSALA AND ITS WINE. 



from them until after a ten years' siege. It was blocked 
up in the sixteenth century, that it might no longer 
prove a harbour for the Barbary corsairs. The Saracens 
are said to have destroyed the old city and built another 
on the site of the present, which the Normans, on driving 
them out, surrounded with the existing walls and towers. 
Marsala is familiar to modern ears by its white wine, 
which, first springing into notice during the presence of 
Lord Nelson's fleet at Naples and the English occupation 
of Sicily as a palatable substitute for sherry, has since 
obtained an immense market in England and America ; 
and besides enriching our own merchants, by whom the 
trade is monopolized, has greatly benefited the inhabi- 
tants of the neighbourhood. It was here that Garibaldi 
landed on his famous invasion of Sicily, May 11th, 1860, 
in the teeth of a fifty-gun ship and two steam-sloops of 
the Neapolitan navy. 

Off the coast, between Trapani and Marsala, lie a group 
of picturesque islands — San Pantaleone, Favignano, 
Maretimo, and Levanzo. On the first, it is believed, 
stood the ancient Motya, which Dionysius wrested from 
the Carthaginians, after an obstinate defence, by erect- 
ing military machines on the shoals dividing it from the 
land, and thus rendering it a sort of peninsula, Favig- 
nano, about eighty miles from the coast of Africa, has 
two harbours, in which the Roman fleet was posted 
during the first Punic War, to prevent the Carthaginians 



LAST WORDS. 



307 



throwing succours into Trapani while besieged by the 
Roman soldiers. The other islands are only remarkable 
for their picturesque formation. 

Between Marsala and Selinunte is Mazzara, the 
"Inclita" (pop. 8688), surrounded by strong walls and 
towers of Norman origin, but with no antiquities save 
three sarcophagi contained in the cathedral, which was 
founded by Count Roger in 1093. 

At Selinunte we fall into the route around the island, 
which has been already • described, and here, accordingly, 
we take leave of our readers, with many thanks for 
their patient companionship through these rambling and 
desultory sketches. 



APPENDIX. 



fHOSE who may desire to visit Sicily, and prefer 
r a sea voyage, can reach Palermo, via Gibraltar, 
by the screw-steamers of the Anglo-Italian 
Company, from Liverpool to the Mediterranean. 
For times of departure, see Bradshaw. They sail weekly 
— fare sixteen guineas. Steamers leave Naples for Pa- 
lermo direct every day in the week, except Tuesday and 
Saturday. There are also others which go to Messina, 
touching on the Calabrian coast, on Mondays, Tuesdays, 
Wednesdays, and Fridays. The French steamers from 
Marseilles to Malta, and vice versa, also touch at Messina, 
leaving Malta every Sunday afternoon. 

A passport is required for Sicily, but can easily be 
obtained on application to the ambassador at Naples. 

Mail stages are now established on most of the prin- 
cipal lines in Sicily, as from Palermo to Catania, through 
the interior, and Palermo to Messina by the coast, Mes- 
sina to Catania, Palermo to Trapani, &c. The fare is 



RAILROADS AND HOTELS. 



309 



five bajocchi, or twenty-one centimes the mile, with five 
bajocchi for the postilion at every relay. On the mule 
roads the traveller must either take a lettiga, or ride, 
and in any case should be careful to make a contract in 
the presence of some respectable innkeeper. He should 
also carry with him a stock of tea, coffee, and provisions, 
with one or two cooking utensils ; and a party will do 
well to add a tent and mattresses, though it is possible 
the inns may be slightly ameliorated. 

To those who do not care to see much of the interior, 
the steamers which occasionally ply from Messina to 
Palermo, Trapani, and Girgenti, offer a cheap and easy 
medium of communication. Inquire at the hotels. 

The only railroad yet open in Sicily connects Palermo 
with Bagaria, but others are projected. 

There are but few really good hotels in Sicily. The 
" Trinacria," at Palermo, merits especial notice, for the 
beauty of its situation and the cleanliness and comfort 
of its interior. The usual charge is four caiiini for 
breakfast of tea or coffee and a single dish, and eight 
carlini for the table dlidte. The rooms according to their 
size and situation — a comfortable bedroom, with a sea 
view, costing six carlini. (The carlino is worth 4d. 
English). At the British Consulate, which is very near, 
the service of the Church of England is performed every 
Sunday morning. There are other hotels in Palermo, 
tolerably comfortable and less expensive, but for English 



810 



GUIDE BOOKS FOR TOURISTS. 



travellers making a short stay, the above may be safely 
recommended. 

At Messina the "Le Vittoria," situated on the Marina, 
is on the whole the best for English travellers, as its 
situation is excellent. At Catania, the two chief hotels 
are "La Corona d'Oro," and the " Hotel d'Etna." "II 
Sole," at Syracuse, may be mentioned with great com- 
mendation. At Trapani, Marsala, Girgenti, and Cefalu, 
are decent second-rate inns, but in the interior the gene- 
rality are like the Spanish "venta," furnishing nothing 
but eggs, bread, and wine. 

The " Guida Generale per La Sicilia," by Power, should 
by all means be obtained, especially by the man of 
science and the student of natural history. Not a tithe 
of the churches it enumerates are, however, worthy of 
the slightest attention, and the traveller should be on 
his guard against its strain of undistinguisbing pane- 
gyric. Murray's " Handbook to Sicily," by Mr. 
George Dennis, will be found a reliable and discrimi- 
nating companion. The " Normans in Sicily," by Gaily 
Knight, with the folio illustrations ; the folios of the 
Duke of Serra-di-falco ; on Sicilian Antiquities ; the 
" Autumn in Sicily," by the Marquis of Ormonde ; the 
Histories of Palmeri ; Admiral Smyth's "Sicily" ; and 
the " Sicilian Vespers " of Amari, of which there is an 
English translation, have been already mentioned, and 
will be consulted by those desirous of further informa- 



TABLE OF DISTANCES. 311 

tion upon the history, antiquities, and statistics of the 
island. 

Circular notes are cashed by the corresponding bankers 
at Messina, Palermo, and Catania. 



DISTANCES ON PRINCIPAL ROADS. 

Journey from Messina to Palermo, through the in- 
terior, performed by the mail in forty-six hours, and 
requiring five days with a private carriage. Inns be- 
tween Catania and Palermo very bad, being mere 
" ventas." 





Posts. 


Miles. 


Scaletta, 


... n . 


• 10$ 


Agrb, 


... ii . 


. 10 


Giardini (Taorinina), 


i . 


. 9 


Giarra, 


... H . 


. 12 


Aci Keale, 


... if . 


. 10 


Catania, 


... \\ .. 


. 10 


Paternb, 


... \\ .. 


. 12£ 


Adernb, 


... u . 


• 124 


Sisto, 


1 .. 


. 9 


Kegalbuto, 


l . 


. 6 


S. Filippo d'Argirb, ... 


... 11 .. 


. 10 


Leonforte 


l .. 


9 


Misericordia (Castrogiovanni) , 


... i\ .. 


. 12 


Villarosa, 


... n .. 


. 11 


S. Caterina, ... 


... ij .. 


. 12 


Landro, 


i .. 


. 9 


Vallelunga, ... 


... n .. 


. 12 


Gulf a, 


i .. 


. 9 


Manganaro, ... 


... ij .. 


. 12 


Sottovicari, ... 


i .. 


. 7 



812 TEAVELLEES' EOUTES. 



Posts. Miles. 



ViUafrati, 




1 ... 


. 8 


Missilm6ri 






12 






11 
1 4 


10 


Total, 




29 


2344 


CARRIAGE-ROAD FROM MESSINA 


TO PALERMO 


BY THE 


COAST. 






Posts. 


Miles. 


Spadafora, 






• 17. 


Barcellona, 




2 


17 


Patti, 






. 18 


Brolo 






14 


Torrenova, 




— 


. 16 


S. Stefano, 






. 24 


Cefalu, 






. 24 


Termini 




n - 


. 24 


Palermo, 






. 25 


Total, 




8f 


179 


CARRIAGE-ROAD ROUND ETNA, 


FROM CATANIA TO GIARDINI 


(author's 


route) . 










Posts. 


Miles. 


Misterbianco, 








Paternb, 






. 12^ 


Licodia, 








T^i onnn tti IIq 

XJlciiiLct V IIlci , ... ... •.• 








Adernb, 




H .. 


. 124 


Bront6, 






. 12 


Kandazzo, 




14 .. 


. 12 


Piedimonte, ... 




2 .. 


. 18 


Giardini, 




1 .. 


. 9 


Total, 




9 


76 



Journey in three days and a half from Syracuse 
Girgenti, by mule road : — 

Miles. 

Floridia, 10 

Palazzolo, 21 



GIRGENTI TO PALERMO. 



313 



Miles. 

Ragusa, 20 

Comiso, ... ... ... ... ... 8 

Vittoria, 18 

Terranova, ... ... ... 18 

Licata, ... ... ... ... ... 18 

Palma, 12 

Girgenti, ... ... .. ... ... 14 

Total, 139 

From Girgenti to Palermo, four days (author's route), 
mule road: — ■ 





Miles. 


Siculiana, 


12 


Montallegro, 


10 


Sciacca, 


22 


Selinunte, 


22 


Castelvetrano, 


8 


Salemi, 


14 


Vita, 


5 


Calatafimi, 


4 


Segeste, 

Calatafimi (return), ... 


3 

3 


Alcamo, 


11 


Partenico, 


14 


Borghetto, ... 


2 


Monreale, 


HI 


Palermo, 


44 


Total, 


146 



There is also a carriage-road direct across the island, 
between Girgenti and Palermo, but it misses Selinunte 
and Segeste. 



314 



TABLE OF SICILIAN COINS. 



MONEY. 



The current coinage of the Isle of Sicily is not easily- 
explained, owing to the various modifications which have 
been introduced of late years. Previous to 1860, the 
old Sicilian coinage was in circulation, but since that 
date numerous and complicated alterations have been 
made, to the great inconvenience of travellers. Thus, 
whilst official accounts are kept in francs and centimes, 
the tradesmen and hotel-keepers use the old established 
currency; and, to add to the confusion, the bankers and 
merchants retain the decimal system in their calcula- 
tions. It is necessary, therefore, that the tourist should 
clearly understand, if possible, the relative value of the 
various currencies; and we hope to supply the want in 
the following tables, first subjoining the different values 
of the old Sicilian coins : — 



All these coins are not in circulation, the picciolo, for 
instance, being merely nominal. 

The relative value of Neapolitan and Sicilian coins 



6 Piccioli 
2 Grani .. 

10 Grani .. 

20 Grani .. 

10 Tari.... 

12 Tari.... 

30 Tari.... 



= 1 Grano. 

= 1 Bajocco. 

= 1 Car lino. 

= 1 Tari. 



- 1 Ducato. 
= 1 Piastra. 
= 1 Onza. 



SICILIAN MONEY. 315 

will be seen from the table following, wliich we borrow 
from Mr. Dennis's " Handbook to Sicily": — 

English. 

1 Neapolitan Tari... = 2 Sicilian Tari — 85 Centimes = about 8d. 

1 Sicilian Tari — 1 Neapolitan Carlino = 42 Centimes — about 4d. 

1 Sicilian Carlino... = \ Sicilian Tari = 21 Centimes = about 2d. 

1 Neapolitan Grano = 1 Sicilian Bajocco = 4 Centimes. 

1 Sicilian Grano = 2 Centimes. 

And further, — - 

Francs. CentB. 

1 Tari (Sicilian) = 42 

2 Tari = 85 

6 Tari = 2 55 

10 Tari (1 Ducat) = 4 25 

12 Tari (1 Piastre) = 5 10 

30 Tari (1 Ounce) = 12 75 

Also, — 

Oz. Tari. Grani. 

\ Lira, or Franc =0 1 4 

1 Lira =0 2 7 

2 Lire = 4 14 

5 Lire =0 11 15 

20 Lire, or a Napoleon = 1 17 1 



The sole golden coin of Sicily is the Napoleon, equi- 
valent to 20 francs, in pieces of 10 and 15 francs each. 
The English sovereign varies in value from 57 tari to 
58 tari 16 grani, reckoning the tari at about 4d. 



WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 

In this department, also, there is a partial incon- 
venience in the fact that, whereas the Government use 



316 WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 

the metrical or French decimal standard, the general 
population retain the old system. 
The long measure is as follows: — ■ 

1 Palma = 12 Once = 10J Inches English. 

1 Canna = 8 Palmi = 2\ Yards English. 

1 Mi'glio = 720 Canne = 1620 Yards English. 

The Sicilian mile is to the English as 81 to 88. 
The liquid measure is: — 

1 Quartuccio = 1J Pint. 

1 Barile = 74 Gallons. 

1 Salma = 60 Gallons. 

1 Botte = 240 Gallons. 

But different articles are sold by different measures. 
Corn by the salma, 1^ equivalent to an imperial 
quarter; oil, by the caflso, equivalent to 2f imperial 
gallons; heavy goods, by the rotolo and cantaro, equi- 
valent to the weight of a quartoccio of olive oil at 64° 
Fahrenheit. 

The following additional particulars may be useful : — 

WEIGHTS. 
1 Quartara = 20 Quartucci. 

1 Rotolo = -7934 Kilogramme = If lb. English. 

1 Cantaro = 79*342 Kilogrammes = 175 lb. English. 

1 Sicilian Pound = 12 oz. English. 



1 Tomolo 
1 Salma.. 



MEASURES. 

= 1 Rood English. 

= 4£ Acres English. 



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" The Great Architect, as Manifested in the Material Universe," &c. With 
numerous Engravings. Post 8vo, cloth. Price 3s. 

Illustrated Times. — "Here, in a small and handsome volume, is as much 
as the great multitude of readers need know about Earthquakes and Volcanoes. 
All is given in perfectly plain language, and the very large number of well- 
executed engravings makes the whole volume quite clear and distinct to the non- 
scientific reader. " 



THE BURIED CITIES OF CAMPANIA ; or, Pompeii and Her- 
culaneum : their History, their Destruction, and their Remains. By W. 
H. Davenport Adams, Author of " Records of Noble Lives," &c. With Fifty- 
seven Engravings, and a Plan of Pompeii. Post 8vo, cloth. Price 2s. 6d. 

Athenaeum. — " A compendious summary, in a handy and convenient form. 
.... The meals, the shows, the plays, the trades of Roman Italy, are brought be- 
fore us with some fulness, and the whole book is copiously illustrated." 



T. NELSON AND SONS, LONDON, EDINBURGH, AND NEW YORK. 



§mttifollg Jllusiratetr ^oohs fox % gornig. 



THE WOELD AT HOME: Pictures and Scenes from Far-off 
Lands. By Mary and Elizabeth Kirby. With upwards of One Hun- 
dred and Thirty Illustrations. Square 8vo. Cloth, richly gilt. Price 6s. 

The Times. — "An admirable collection of adventures and incidents in foreign 
lands, gleaned largely from foreign sources, and excellently illustrated." 

British Quarterly Review. — "A very charming book; one of the best popu- 
lar wonder-books for young people that we have seen. In language of singular 
simplicity, and with a very profuse use of very effective woodcuts, the distinctive 
features of far-off lands — their natural history, the manners and customs of their 
inhabitants, their physical phenomena, <&c. — are brought home to the fireside in a 
way to entrance alike the children of five or six years old, and the older folk who 
instruct them. No better book has appeared this season." 



BOOK FOR BOYS— ILLUSTRATED BY GUSTAVE DORE. 

p EOFFREY THE KNIGHT. A Tale of Chivalry of the Days 
vT of King Arthur. With Twenty Full-page Engravings by Gustave Dore. 
Post 8vo, cloth extra, gilt edges. Price 4s. 

The Scotsman. — " 'Geoffrey the Knight' appears now in perhaps the most 
attractive form it has yet assumed. Printed in the best style, it is still further 
enriched by a number of admirable engravings by Gustave Dore", illustrating all 
the most thrilling adventures related." 



NEW GIFT-BOOK FOR BOYS. 

THE PLAYGROUND AND THE PARLOUR. A Hand-Book 
of Boys' Games, Sports, and Amusements. By Alfred Elliott. With 
One Hundred Illustrations. Post 8vo. Price 4s. 

Illustrated Times. — " We have not for some time seen any Book of Sports 
better got up or more carefully compiled than this." 



OATS AND DOGS ; or, Notes and Anecdotes of Two Great Fami- 
lies of the Animal Kingdom. By Mrs. Hugh Miller. New Edition. 
With upwards of Forty Engravings. Crown 8vo, cloth extra, gilt edges. 
Price 3s. 6d. 

The Times. — "A full and well-written account of both the feline and the 
canine species. It is filled with spirited engravings, many of which, giving pic- 
tures of tiger and lion hunting, will have special attractions for the Gordon Cum- 
mings and Gerrards and Livingstones of the future, uho are now in our school- 
rooms." 



TALES OF HEROES. Taken from English History. New Edi- 
tion. With Twenty-six Engravings. Post 8vo, cloth extra, gilt edges. 
Price 3s. 6d. 

Morning Star. — "A more entertaining or more instructive volume could 
hardly be procured by any one who wishes to gladden a youthful reader." 



A NNALS OF INDUSTRY AND GENIUS. By C. L. Bright- 
XJL well, Author of " Above Rubies," &c. With Thirty-eight Engravings. 
Post 8vo, cloth extra, gilt edges. Price 4s. 



T. NELSON AND SONS, LONDON, EDINBURGH, AND NEW YORK. 



